Behind Every Great Man
by Audrey Bogart
Summary: "Behind every great man is an even greater woman who influences him."
1. Seraph

Behind Every Great Man…

Chapter 1: Seraph

_From the desk of Dr. C. Hornsby –_

_October 7__th_

_ I fear the worst has happened tonight. We lost our famous Jane Doe patient number 5284-A after months of extensive research. I implore you that it was not my decision to keep her here. The hospital thought it would prove to be quite the thing we needed for additional funds from the committee. But she was never one to be kept locked up and experimented on. I must start from the beginning if you are to understand the importance of this letter. _

_ You see, Jane Doe was brought to the hospital's doorstep by fate. It was before the fall of Shinra and the great dilemma that followed suit. Jane Doe was left alone at the doors with nothing more than a SOLDIER uniform and an ID number that never checked out. I spent countless hours trying to locate the ID number through Shinra's databases but have found nothing. Her heart was still beating even though she was badly injured the doctors on call in the emergency room took excellent care of her. However, I feared that she would remain in a vegetative state and I was half correct. _

_ I was assigned to Jane Doe's charts after Dr. Morrissey took over. She was the brightest colleague I ever had the luck of meeting and I was ecstatic to be working alongside her. She had come about Jane Doe as a side project after learning that Shinra had experimented on her. Note that it was a year after Midgar was almost destroyed that this research had been done. For over a year, Jane Doe rested in a coma…that is, until the night of March 23__rd__. _

_ Violent rains had struck our city and parts of it were being flooded. Midgar's citizen's rushed into our little sanctuary for protection from the weather. The halls were littered with people and everyone was scurrying around like little bees. Most of the medical staff had taken on other duties for the night but Dr. Morrissey asked me to stay inside the observation room so that I could look over Jane Doe. Now, I understand that you've never visited this hospital so I will tell you now that anyone housed in the observation room can see into the hospital room but they cannot see in. It was from this vantage point that I noticed a young man with blonde hair escorting a child down the hallway. He paused beside the large glass window that lets passing staff check in on the patient. He stared at her for what seemed like minutes until a loud siren shrieked through the halls. They were evacuating the hospital. He breathed upon the cool glass and wrote a word down in the foggy area. It simply read: Seraph. I scribbled it down as fast as I could and ran out of the observation room in hopes of interrogating him. But he had disappeared within the crowd. The moments that followed are critical. _

_ I swear, I had only been out of the room for a few seconds when I heard Jane Doe's vitals go off. I dashed inside to see her lean body convulsing as if she were having a seizure. Her fingers scratched at the air and her long, chocolate colored hair was tossed from side to side. Finally, as I heard the Dr. Morrissey's team come barreling down the hallway, Jane Doe's eyes opened. Before me was the most ethereal set of eyes I had ever seen. To describe them would do them no justice. They were a mixture of the deepest oceans and the bluest skies. I can only pray that there is a crayon that mimics that shade of blue. Those mesmerizing eyes gazed at me until they were blocked by the bodies of doctors trying to figure out why her body was reacting the way it was. It wasn't until she had calmed down and went back into her vegetative state that I realized it wasn't me she was staring at; it was the foggy word on the window. _

_ The next several months were filled with all kinds of excitement. Dr. Morrissey claimed that she had figured out what Shinra had done to the woman but she couldn't document anything without proof. I once asked if she would let me in on her little discovery but she panicked and claimed that it would put me in danger if I learned the details of Jane Doe. Everything about this patient was a mystery. And it was a mystery that the committee was willing to fund. _

_ From time to time, Jane Doe, who I believe is actually named 'Seraph', would have her little fits. They were sporadic and violent and often times, they would leave one of the residents injured. But it's not these fits that I desperately pen these words about. It was tonight. Everything that could possibly go wrong did. _

_ I had started my shift at nine to recover Dr. Morrissey. I had spent many weeks trying to convince her that exploratory surgery was out of the question for Seraph. My only argument was that this was a human being, not a guinea pig submitted for scientific study. How wrong I was. We argued for several minutes, not even noticing the nurse making her rounds with Seraph. Every night she would come in, check her vitals, and change her IV. It was completely normal. Dr. Morrissey pushed her way into the observation room, ending our discussion for the time being. I should've followed her. _

_ A loud crash came from Seraph's room and I eagerly ran inside to see what the calamity was about. The nurse blushed and bent down to pick up the metal bowl she had dropped. I asked if everything was okay. _

_ "Yes," she replied. "It's just so strange. I laid down Jane's Doe's hand on the bed, turned around to check her fluid bag and when I turned back around; her hand was lying across her stomach. I swear Dr. Hornsby…I swear that I laid it on the bed." I assured her that it was nothing and to continue her routine. I pulled a chair up to watch just in case. _

_ This is where my story takes a turn for the worse. It was later that night and I found myself nodding off. I hadn't slept much the past few days and the soft hums of the life support machines were a soothing lullaby. The nurse came in for her last rounds of the night and smiled sweetly as she shook me awake. I watched her move around the bed so that she could reach Seraph's fluid bag. For some reason, my eyes dropped back down to the patient's sleeping form. My heart sped up as those magnificent blue eyes seared into my own. She was awake. Her oceanic orbs glared daggers into my chest and I prayed that it was my imagination creating the foreboding image. The nurse moved back into my line of vision and I tried to look around her to see if Seraph was still awake. Her eyes were closed. I moved slowly towards the button by the two way mirror that allowed communication. _

_ Just as my finger graced the button, I noticed the slow movement in my peripheral vision. Seraph's lean body was raised up out of bed and stalking behind the nurse. Her chestnut colored hair fell in long lengths down her shoulder as an arm extended out towards the scalpel lying on a tray. I shouted out to the nurse but I was too late. Seraph was quicker than lightning as she hugged the nurse to her body and shoved the blade towards the nurse's neck. Her eyes darted from the mirror to me and chapped lips moved to form words. _

_ "Push the button." I was in complete shock. She had been comatose for so long! Her limbs shouldn't even be able to hold her weight and yet she was lighter on feet than a ballerina! I gulped and pushed the button. "WHO AM I?" Dr. Morrissey stuttered for a few seconds before answering her. _

_ "We don't know. Dr. Hornsby claims your name is Seraph." My eyes jerked towards the mirror. She was going to put this on me? My anger subsided as the girl clutched her head in pain. She yelped out and stumbled to the floor. I motioned for the nurse to leave and she didn't hesitate. A small line of blood had soaked the stark white collar of her uniform. Seraph began to scream out and her tight fists pounded against the tile floor. I could only predict that memories were flooding her brain. Her hospital gown crawled up her thigh and every vein in her body could be seen. I made a few steps towards her in hopes that I could calm her down and explain her situation to her, but security was already busting through the doors. _

_ The first guard pushed me into a corner and stood in my line of sight. The other two guards took a position near Seraph. I couldn't see the scene unfolding before me, but I knew that my patient was stronger than most. The first guard was sent was across the room, his body mangled up by the life support equipment. The second guard and the man in front of me took new positions and I could finally see Seraph in her physical glory. The first man shot a few rounds in her direction but her speed was immaculate. Each bullet was dodged so perfectly that I couldn't bear to blink. Before the guard knew it, Seraph was in front of him, slicing his hand in just the right motion so he could not hold his gun. The way she had handled the scalpel, it was as if she had handled fine blades all her life. The tool in her hand wasn't a doctor's cutting tool, but a fine katana carved from the finest steel. To watch her wield that blade was like watching an eccentric dance. Her head rolled to the side, sending the final guard a look of warning. He ran out. _

_ She walked up to me like a feline huntress. Her long, lean legs were graceful like a dancer's but the dance she had just executed was no ballet. This was a trained artist and she knew full well what she was capable of. When she spoke this time, her voice was soft and held a certain lightness to it. _

_ "The man in the corner is unconscious. His suffered a broken collar bone but he'll live. The second man is suffering a pretty large wound. The blood needs to be stopped for I accidentally cut a vein in his wrist. You see, I'm a little out of practice. But stop the bleeding and he'll be fine. Dr. Hornsby, I…" The alarm system began to sound and I feared the worst. I quickly cut her off and sent her in the direction of the nearest exit. She tried to explain that she needed to find someone but I wouldn't listen. My biggest concern was getting her away from this place, lest she want to end up being experimented on. She fled the building and I gawked as she scaled the large brick wall surrounding the perimeter. When I turned, Dr. Morrissey was standing behind me, a look of horror pasted upon her face. _

_ "What did you just do?" I cleared my throat and prepared myself for an argument. _

_ "That woman does not deserve to spend a life with needles prodding her body." Dr. Morrissey stared past me, her breath speeding up. _

_ "I fear that we have just unleashed a monster upon our city, Dr. Hornsby." _

_ Under normal circumstances, this would be the end of my letter but the world has been turned upside down. Dr. Morrissey confided in me last night that she had proof that Shinra was behind the creation of Seraph. When I asked to see the proof she claimed that it was too dangerous once again. I left the conversation at that but this morning, she didn't come in. I passed her office and it was atrocious. Papers littered the floor and the entire place had been ransacked. There were several blood splatters across the wall and I fear that she gave her life for that proof. I was convinced she was dead until I received a letter in the mail today. It simply read:_

_ Behind every great man is an even greater woman who influences him._

_ She's the angel of death, my friend._

_ I later broke into Dr. Morrissey's office and pulled up some files on Seraph. I can't understand the code that my coworker must've broken but I now know that she was planning a research based project that enlisted the help of some genetics experts who had worked for Shinra. The chemicals listed were incomprehensible and I silently thanked whatever forces that had stopped the project in its path. _

_ But I'm terrified, my friend. I'm terrified because Seraph may have been something more sinister than I had anticipated. I fear that I did indeed unleash a monster onto my poor city. This is my last letter to you for I can hear the nurses chatting with some men down the hall. They wish to speak to me about Jane Doe. What if my fate has been secured by the organization that created my dear Seraph? I ask of you only that stop whatever monstrosity I unleashed and if you can't, then find somebody who will. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ Dr. Hornsby_

The aging doctor pushed the letter into a crisp envelope and sent it down the mail chute. It would be delivered within moments but he knew that time was of the essence and every second was essential. He leaned back in his leather chair just as he heard the click of his office door being opened by two large men dressed in black. He smiled knowingly and opened his desk drawer.

"I know what you're here for but I've deleted everything. Nothing else remains on Seraph." The larger of the two men stepped forward, pistol pointing towards the doctor.

"You're wrong, Doctor." A single shot was fired.


	2. Lavender and Cinnamon

**Behind Every Great Man…**

**Chapter 2: Lavender and Cinnamon**

* * *

Vincent Valentine read and re-read the letter that had been sent to Tifa's residence. It was to be delivered to Vincent at once, or so the scribbles on the back of the envelope demanded. Tifa didn't hesitate and immediately called the mysterious man on his cell phone. It hadn't been long since he had bought one and she had to call several times before he finally answered.

"Who's Dr. Hornsby?" Vincent folded the letter back up and placed it within the confines of the blood red jacket.

"An old friend of a friend." Tifa rolled her eyes. She shouldn't have expected the life story of one Vincent Valentine and politely turned her back to him, leaving the former Turk to his own thoughts. "Tifa, I need you to get Cloud over here."

_

* * *

_

_A light rain began to fall upon my head as I scooted down underneath a stairwell to an apartment complex. I shouldn't have left that hospital. I shouldn't have hurt those men, either. I stretched out my hand, the muscles inside flexed instinctively as if they were ready for combat once again. I didn't remember much. Hell I didn't even know my own name until the doctor yelled out Seraph. And then there was the pain. It felt like lightning was striking my very skull and images of a seductive smile followed by a cabinet filled with artillery burst into my brain. It was followed by a montage of faces that I didn't know and voices that continued to echo in my mind. I was a mess. Tucking my knees up to my chest, I silently cried for answers that wouldn't come tonight. The clink of coins hitting the ground woke me up from my quiet depression. An elderly man with tiny black sunglasses and a beard that went on and on smiled down on me. His la_rge _red umbrella was cheery against the dark sky. I gently pushed the long, wet hair from my face and politely thanked him. His expression changed and I feared I had already made an enemy in a world I wasn't accustomed to. _

_"Seraph? My goodness child, how long has it been?" I jumped to my feet and grasped the old man by the shoulders. Somebody knew me!_

_"You know who I am?" The old man nodded, his beard shaking in unison with his head. _

_"Of course I know who you are! But I was told you were dead." I could feel my face fall. For all I knew I could be a wandering spirit, lost in translation among the living. The elderly man spotted the confusion on my face. "But that was just a rumor. Come, let's get you out of this rain. I still have quite bit of your belongings at my house." _

_His name was Athos, like the musketeer and was the ultimate nirvana when it came to the philosophy of war. He had trained with an elite group of fighters before Shinra came into power. My brain recognized the name 'Shinra' but it didn't compute just yet. Athos' house was a museum of war craft but he claimed that he no longer felt the need to fight when there were more important things to life. _

_"Like what?" I asked as played with a tiny brass key mounted on the wall. Athos was digging inside a closet and I thought he hadn't heard me at first._

_"Well, like love for example. Seraph, you of all people should know the subject quite well." I didn't feel like I had been loved in my lifetime but I suppose when you wake up with no memories you're not supposed to feel loved. _

_"Who did I love?" Athos pulled out a large trunk and studied my face before pulling the key from my fingertips. _

_"He…is of no importance now. Let's see what you left behind, shall we? It's been so long since I rummaged around your trunk!" The sentence in itself was enough to make me crinkle my nose up at the perversion. I must've kept some pretty odd company. The lid was lifted and I immediately fell to my knees to get a better look. It was mostly filled with clothes and I quickly pulled out various articles so that I could dress in normal attire as soon as possible. I didn't want any more attention brought to me than I had already. Laid out before me was a pair of grey tights, a black miniskirt made from soft wool, a dingy green camisole, and a black leather jacket that ended just below my breasts. I scrunched my face into a foul expression. I must not have had a sense of color when it came to fashion. "You were never one to keep up with the girls, Seraph." _

_"I actually wore this?" Athos shook his head and dug around in the trunk until he came back up with a pair of long, black suede boots. _

_"Now your outfit is complete. This was your favorite ensemble. You always said that it blended comfort, seduction, and function all into one." I guess I had to trust him. I rushed upstairs to the bathroom and shrugged off the thin hospital gown. Beside me, a claw foot tub was beckoning me to indulge and I creaked open the door, only to find Athos waiting with a plush white towel and a newly unwrapped bar of soap. "I have a gift, what can I say?" I smiled at the old man and shut the door behind me after I gathered the towel and soap. _

_The warm water felt like heaven as I slipped into the bathtub. The soap smelled of fresh lavender and spicy cinnamon and I eagerly ran it through my dirty locks. For a long while, I just lavished in the feelings of the water and the smells of the soap. I lifted the bar to my nose once again. Something about the fragrance was stirring something up inside my head. I closed my eyes and tried to capture the memory floating around. I could see a set of wrinkled sheets and a naked torso lying beside me. I clenched my eyes shut and focused some more. It wasn't my stomach but a man's. His muscles were so tight and rigid and even in a state of relaxation, he was tense. I ran a hand down that stomach and breathed in the aroma of lavender and cinnamon. "Hm…you smell like home." And just like that, the image was gone. Apparently, I had been loved. I continued to scrub away at my skin. _

_Athos was right. The outfit was everything he said it was. The tights outlined my long legs but were flexible enough to fight in. The skirt formed to my lower half but moved with my motions. Even the camisole and the jacket felt lived in but it was the pair of boots that I fell in love with. They easily slid over my legs and ended just above the knee. There was no heel but they created the illusion that I was walking barefoot although inside the soft suede I could've sworn I was walking on a cloud. _

_I wrapped my lengthy hair up in the cotton towel and paraded downstairs to show Athos my new look. A soft snore revealed him to be situated in an oversized armchair with a copy of 'Les Miserables' sliding down his paunchy stomach. I silently pushed the lid of the trunk up and began to dig within its confines. Stashed inside the trunk were numerous pictures of myself and Athos, each one a little older than the last. The oldest was of me as an adolescent. My grin was toothy and my hair was just gracing my shoulders. I flipped through the more recent ones until I caught an image of myself in a uniform. My face was stern and cold, completely opposite from the child I had just seen. The last one startled me. Athos wasn't in the picture at all and the edges were frayed and wrinkled. The picture showed a man with ethereal features and a cocky smirk. He was…beautiful. I stood behind him, my face resting upon his shoulder. Was this the man I had seen in my mind? I blushed at the thought of being romantic with such a handsome individual. I tried to pry my brain open and figure out who the man was and whether or not I stood a chance of finding him again. Nothing. I knocked the lid of the trunk with my fist in frustration; only to have the velvet lined wood flip open. Was this another compartment? I began to chew on my lip as I maneuvered the wood from the chest to reveal the shiniest metal I had ever laid eyes upon. It was a scythe. The slick metal gleaned underneath the light of Athos' desk lamp and a small inscription was pressed into the blade. It was in a language that I didn't recall right off the bat. I gently held the blade in my hand and the striking pain was inside my head once more. _

_Flashes of that cocky smirk and a pair of hands holding the blade; giving it to me burst into my brain. Another series showed me wielding the weapon like a master. I was being taught. 'You're doing much better Seraph. But you need to be quicker than that.' The scythe dropped from my hands and I notice Athos standing over me. He grasped the blade and sighed. _

_"I was hoping you wouldn't find this. Seraph…meet Nemesis. She was your weapon of choice." I looked up at the old man from underneath my lashes. There was a dark aura surrounding that thing. _

_"You talk like it is alive." Athos retrieved the second half of it from inside the trunk and nodded. _

_"That's because it is." He connected the two parts so that it stood at my height. "Now, say those words on the blade." I tried to explain that I didn't know the language but Athos wasn't hearing it. I closed my eyes and whispered the words the best I could. The scythe disappeared into the jade staff and almost magically, it transformed into a fine katana. Athos shook his head as he watched the display unfold before him. "Nemesis has two forms: the scythe and the katana. They are both deadly weapons but you always favored the sword. You said it had a style unlike any other. But you preferred to walk around with the scythe. No one ever messed with you when they saw that thing hanging off your back because…" _

_"I look like Death." The words just fell from my lips. A person wouldn't dare touch Death's hand. Athos nodded. _

_"Nemesis holds the soul of an ancient priestess who was constantly in conflict with herself. Some say that one part of her personality is in the scythe and the other lies in the sword. Only you knew which was dark and which wasn't." I pulled the towel from my head and ran my fingers through the long locks. "Seraph, perhaps you should get some sleep." _

_"I've been in a coma, Athos. I think I've caught up on my sleep." Truth be told, sleep was the last thing I wanted to do. Sleep brought on an onslaught of images and feelings I wasn't quite equipped to handle as of yet. The last series of images that were instilled in my brain were still fresh like the rain outside. It wasn't so much the intensity of the images, it was that slicing pain that started in my very nerves and raced throughout every muscle in my body. I continued to rummage through the trunk as Athos wandered into the kitchen to make some tea for us. I'm sure he wasn't used to being up this late at night. Sitting by its lonesome in the corner of the chest was a small brown book with the word 'ADDRESSES' printed in bold black letters. I pushed into the inside pocket of my leather jacket just as I heard the light flutter of a jacket outside. My instincts told me to run and I didn't hesitate to question them. I was already up the staircase when the first knock sounded._

* * *

Athos opened the door to a couple of old friends that he hadn't seen in ages. The first to speak was Cloud and he greeted the old man with a warm handshake. Vincent, however, pushed past the two men and barreled upstairs to see the last glimpse of a woman jumping from the window. She had managed to run from the hospital and her past but she wasn't going to get away from him this time. Like a sleek panther, he followed instep, landing silently on the mud. He barely caught the sight of her running into some of the ruins of Midgar.

Using the curved blade of Nemesis, Seraph was able to maneuver her lean body around the crooked angles of metal and cement like a skilled acrobat. She could still feel the man in red nearby and hear his quiet grunts and shallow breathing from the energy he was exerting by keeping up with her. Rain poured in from a gaping hole in the middle of the ruins and the woman finally decided to turn and stand up for herself. Letting the drops glide down her form, she met the man face to face. She almost audibly gasped at the handsome features before her. Raven colored hair shadowed most of his face from her sight but there was no mistaking those eyes. A single name shot through her skull: Vincent. She didn't realize she had spoken it out loud until he had taken a surprised step backwards.

Vincent studied the woman in front of him. Time had lengthened her hair but everything else about her was the same from the blue-green eyes that sparkled every time she laughed to the innocent pout she had used time and time again to make a man fall to his knees. Her stance gave off the effect that she was puzzled by his presence and it didn't take long to figure out that she wasn't sure who he was. It didn't help that the former Turk had his pistol aimed at her while her own weapon was held limply in her hand at her side. This was not a woman ready for battle. He lowered his gun and nodded to reassure Seraph that he was indeed Vincent Valentine.

The sound of water falling to the earth and the tired breaths of two people were the only noises that could be heard. Vincent was the first to make a move and boldly walked towards her. Seraph held up her weapon in defense, causing the mysterious man to pause.

"I don't know who you are."

"You know my name, Seraph." She shook her head, her eyes flickering from the massive amount of water pouring upon her.

"I don't know anything else! Damn it, I don't know who I am or why I know your name or who the hell the man was in that memory! I just want to remember!" Vincent's eyes fell to the ground. Sooner or later, she was going to figure everything out. He just didn't want to be the one to tell her everything.

"It's better if you don't remember." With that said, the heavy steps of Cloud's boots came thundering down the cement walk way of the ruins. Seraph scoffed at the duo before leaping up onto the rubble and out of sight. Cloud stared at the empty space she had just left.

"Are we going to follow her?"


	3. Shadows Filled Up With Doubt

Behind Every Great Man

Chapter 3: Shadows Filled Up With Doubt

* * *

_**My dearest friend,**_

_**It's been too long! I pray that you stay safe during your travels. I can only imagine what places SOLDIER is taking you! Your responses are becoming few and far in-between. They must keep you busy!**_

_**I must admit, this letter serves a more selfish purpose. I fear you have become tangled in a very dangerous situation. I beg of you-**_

_That's where the letter left off. The frayed edge allowed me to believe that there was another part of that note. I flipped through the pages of the address book, frantically searching for the other half but found nothing. _

_Sitting atop my perch in a solitary tree, I was able to see the horizon of Midgar wonderfully. I would have to venture back into that city if I ever wanted to find anything out about my past. It was a beautifully etched double sword: if I went back, I would be hunted. But if I didn't return, I was to live a life unfulfilled. I continued to flip through the pages until I came to the first name addressed in Midgar – Samantha Bone, M.D. She would be the first person I would call. _

_I jingled the tiny coins in my pocket that Athos had so generously given me to a short rhythm. The walk back to the city was short and I found the time to go by faster by watching the mundane, zombie like faces around me. The city was an awfully depressing place and I could only pray that the nook I had chosen to live during my days in SOLDIER wasn't in a place like this. I scrambled up the coins and entered a closet like space housing the first available payphone. I promptly punched in the numbers and patiently listened to the monotonous ring before a bubbly female answered the phone in a very secretary like manner. _

_"I'm looking for a Dr. Bone," I managed to choke out. It had been so long since I had conversed with a person that wasn't trying to stick a needle in me. The woman searched her brain for the name. _

_"There's no Dr. Bone here…oh! You must mean Dr. Morrissey. She was previously Dr. Samantha Bone but she got married last year. Unfortunately, I can't send you to her line." The secretary's voice dropped into a low whisper. "You see, Dr. Morrissey's gone missing. Her office was totaled and there were all these splatters of blood but no Dr. Morrissey." I couldn't find my voice. This Samantha was my first clue and I had already reached a roadblock. "What's even weirder," she continued, "Dr. Hornsby vanished just the other night too. I'm thinking about transferring to another town if this keeps up. Know of any nice hospitals?" I hung up on that note. That woman behind the mirror, she had to have been Dr. Morrissey. She KNEW who I was and yet she made no effort to calm me and down and re-educate my brain with the memories it was lacking. And now she was gone; another ghost haunted by my past. _

_I attached Nemesis to a leather strap fastened on the back of my leather jacket and began to aimlessly walk around town. Car honks and idle voices of noon traffic created an urban symphony around me. I was so caught up in the horror of losing my first contact that I failed to notice the brilliant flash of red hair until we collided. I landed with a thud on my rear as another onslaught of memories attacked my cerebrum. A scene unfolded before me, replaying in my mind like a disturbing film. _

_

* * *

_

_The sound of rapid typing upon a keyboard echoed through a dark room, the only light being emitted by the computer in an eerie blue glow. I typed in an e-mail address followed by the password: CloudNine. The image vanished as a voice thundered into my line of hearing. My eyelashes fluttered against the swell of my cheek as I looked up at the hazy figure. _

* * *

_"I'm sorry?" _

_"I said, 'Are you okay?'" I pulled myself to my feet and tried to shake off the man with the wild air by nodding my reassurance. His face twisted with astonishment and I could feel my stomach sink straight to my ankles. "Seraph?" I rearranged my clothing back to its original state and shook my head._

_"You must have me confused with someone else." Please, I begged silently, let it go and leave me be. The fear growing in my chest was spreading rapidly to my lungs, causing a new suffocation beyond my control. The man was relentless. He pushed his way through the mash pit of passersby and pulled on my arm. My vision went black and it was as if I was looking at the world through ebony colored glasses. Every single person was faceless except for the man beside me as his own face morphed into a serpent like creature, its tongue hissing insults in my face like a spitfire of acid. I dropped to a crouching position and swiped my leg at his kneecaps. In an even quicker speed, I was back to my feet and digging the arch of my suede clad foot into his throat. "You have me confused with somebody else!" My voice was acting on its own accord. I wanted to scream out for somebody to stop me and help this man but the faceless beings kept walking, ignoring the pleas of their fellow man. I wanted to reach out and apologize for hurting him, explain to him that it wasn't me but I felt my body coolly walk away from the entire situation. _

_

* * *

_

_Midgar's public library didn't house too many books since its first destruction; which was probably wise. Why invest in something when it keeps getting destroyed? But they did have a good selection of computers made available to the community. Two long rows of the machines ran down the length of sturdy oak tables that stretched to fill the main room of the library. The media center itself was rather spectacular. Two wall length windows stood guard over the room, revealing a curtain of light upon its spectators. Plants of every variation imaginable to terra cotta pots adorned the walls in professionally elegant attire. _

_I eagerly signed into a computer and recaptured the mental image that held the email address. With a bit of effort, I signed into the email successfully. Hundreds of letters littered my inbox and amidst them was a letter from the provider stating that I had one week from today to claim this address or it was going to be deleted. Apparently, I got lucky. I tried to forget the incident from earlier with the red haired stranger as I sifted through the various advertisements for male enhancement pills and the occasional beauty marketing tool. Towards the ninth page, I finally came across an actual name. It was simply tagged 'Athos.' It didn't divulge too much except that I needed to check in with him. I went back to my mail box and continued my search until I could find a name I recognized. Finally Samantha Bone announced her presence in big, bold letters. There was no subject but the content was much larger than Athos'. _

**I can't do this anymore, not since I've learned what they're doing to you. And now, to find out you played a part in that horrible incident? What's gotten into you Seraph? No, I know what's gotten into you. I just don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe that I had a hand in all this. I knew better. I'm asking for a transfer to Midgar's hospital. I hope someday I can undo what I've created. **

**-Sam**

_I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. None of this made sense. I quickly searched the sidebar for any evidence of a reply. Success! After a few mind bending seconds, my name appeared at the top of the screen followed by Sam's email address. I hastily clicked on it and waited for the words to form in front of me. It simply read: _

_**What the hell did they do to me, Sam? Does he know?**_

_And that was it. No more conversations took place between the doctor and I. A small ding pulled me from my pending investigation and the blinking of a little box in the corner of the screen alerted me that someone was trying to initiate a conversation. I clicked on the tiny box. _

'**Hello Seraph.' **_It was an instant message. My eyes darted throughout the room, scanning for a person that might show any signs of knowing me. _

'**Who is this?'** _Whoever it was knew a lot more about computers than I, for there was no screen name attached to the messages. _

'**I'm an old friend. Well, we're a little beyond friendship, I suppose.'**

'**Who IS this?'**

'**You'll find out, in due time.' **_That was the last of the conversation that I was able to receive for the computer went black as the library's siren went off. _

* * *

Reno steadied himself on the door of the bar as Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent observed him questioningly. It wasn't everyday that a Turk barged in while out of breath. Knowing he looked like a fool, gasping for air like a fish out of the water, he stood up straight and fixed his trampled suit.

"You won't believe who I just ran into!" Vincent finished off the last bit of alcohol Tifa had served him after his pursuit of the mystery woman. The mug scratched at the wood as he slid it down towards the young bartender. It had been that kind of day.

"Let me guess – Seraph," Cloud stated in an unconcerned tone. Reno stared at him, a shocked expression fixed to his face.

"Yeah! How did you know?" The worn faces of two men who had lost a pretty important battle spoke beyond what mere words could imply. "Oh I see…did she attack you guys too?" This peaked Vincent's curiosity and he suddenly stood from his chair. Reno tugged at his jacket. "I mean, I held my own of course."

"Did her eyes change?" Reno glanced at Cloud, realizing what the former Turk was really asking.

"You mean, like the weird cat eye thing like Cloud and Sephiroth? Vincent, her eyes have always been like that. But they did turn black, come to think of it – completely black!" Cloud and Vincent exchanged weary stares before they heard the screeching sirens of a lockdown.

"They've found her."


	4. The Parking Garage

**Behind Every Great Man – The Parking Garage**

The library was in lockdown mode. Metal doors slid down the giant glass windows as every door was automatically locked, including the entrance, which was now blocked by a brigade of military police. I lingered towards the back of the crowd that had formed and moved towards the staircase that led up to the second floor. Quietly, I chanted Nemesis' inscription so that she could be easily concealed and wouldn't cause a scene. The last thing I needed was to be thrown in jail because of the deadly weapon protruding from my back. The library's patrons gathered towards the stern voices barking orders. They, of course, were heavily armed with issued rifles and bayonet attachments. A bright flashlight created a finishing touch as they mounted it upon the gun.

I had almost made it to the top of the stairs when a beam of light flashed down on my being as the library's fluorescent bulbs went black. A parade of flashlights danced over to my direction as a brute of a man stepped forward.

"Freeze! This library is now under the control of the Special Forces Task Team. You and the rest of these people are under arrest until our criminal is found," he thundered. I raised my hands in the air, signaling my surrender but having no intention of staying here. They were after ME, wanting to put me back in that hospital but I wasn't going to go back. No way…in hell. I took another step back. "I said freeze!" Too late. My feet took flight from the steps as I rolled into a tight area filled with bookshelves and the musty smell of aging paper. I immediately heard the march-like footsteps climbing up the wooden stairwell.

The scene was too familiar. I had been in situations like this before and I knew how to handle myself. They would split into two man teams down every aisle – one man watching the front and the other watching the back. The darkness would work towards my advantage as I eased my padded foot into the second shelf of the first unit and pulled my body to the top, high above the men's line of sight. My first two men came up from the stairs, signaling for one to take his position, just as I had predicted. I gently pushed a good sized book from the shelf and watched as they set their lights on the sound, giving me the perfect opportunity to drop to my feet. In an almost stealthy state, I jabbed one masked man to the back of the skull, knocking him unconscious. I caught his body before it fell to the carpeted floor and give away my presence. Grabbing the rifle from his lap, I struck his partner in the same fashion as the first before he ever had a chance to notice me. Two more aisles were left.

I quickly maneuvered my form in to the empty space on the bottom shelf. Slipping the blade from Nemesis' sheath, I prepared for the next man to pass by. Like a venomous cobra, I lashed out and attacked his Achilles tendon. The blade slit the flesh smoothly and he would recover without any problems. I lashed my leg out to catch him, my muscles stretching to accommodate the man's weight. I held my breath as I outlined my next attack and I could hear the adrenaline pulsing throughout my body. I remember this feeling, this surge of energy when you're about to fight and I grin warmly as if I had just embraced an old friend. I was made for this. I softly eased out of my hiding spot and poked the now unconscious man's partner in the shoulder. He immediately turned on me, sending a few bullets into the air. I had to laugh manically at the thought of these men's training; it was ridiculous and it didn't take long to end the short battle with a fast pitched jab to the junction where his shoulder met his neck.

The last aisle was the one that held my fire exit – a red lighted doorway to freedom. Up above the bookshelves was a twisting maze of iron pipes that served as the library's sprinkler system. Lifting my lean body up into the air, the pipes served as an easy perch for my last attack. The last duo of undertrained men was listening to the hard orders of their commanding officer. He was demanding a status report at the sound of gun fire. I plopped myself down on the first man's shoulders and used my thighs to put him into a deep sleep just as the second man turned his back to us to announce that he was about to go investigate. Like a sleek panther attending to its prey, I slid up behind him and calmly placed Nemesis at his throat. He gulped as I brushed my lips against his ear, my voice being the only sound beating in his skull.

"Tell him it's all clear and you think I escaped to the attic." He did as told and I slithered into the shadows with the man in tow. I tried to use my hip to open the door but it wouldn't budge and I grunted in frustration. "Why won't it open?"

"This building is under lockdown. All locks within the building are shut down and have to be unlocked by a police official manually or by a given access code." He motioned towards the keypad next to the heavy door. I pressed the blade tighter against his rough skin, my breath trickling down his neck. I could smell the odor of fear and I once again felt the rush of overpowering an individual.

"Where can I find this code?" In one shaky movement, he held up his identification card, the laminated plastic smiling at me as my ticket to freedom was presented to me.

"The codes are instantly programmed into our cards before we ever leave the station." I plucked the card from his fingers like a weak petal from a flower as he bent his head down in shame. It was one thing to be taken down by an enemy but it was another to be a taken down by a female. "Please make it a big bump so they don't think of me as a coward." I smirked and cold cocked him with as much force as I could muster without severely hurting him. In my book, he wasn't being cowardly. The man probably had a family at home and wanted to live through this event so that he could have supper with them tonight; he was surviving. I hastily swiped the card through the key panel and cracked open the door just enough so that only my body could pass through. Escaping to the roof, I let the identification card fall down to the pavement just as man was brought out in cuffs screaming with pleas of forgiveness. The lights flickered back on and I sighed in relief. The lockdown was over and as it turns out, they were after someone else. But now I had made a faulty move and attention was brought to me when there wasn't any before.

"All of that work…for nothing." I jumped three feet into the air as the cold voice of Vincent flowed towards my ears. I mentally kicked myself for allowing him to sneak up on me like that. He was like a phantom, the way he moved and just appearing from nowhere in particular. I had just fended off six armed guards with the silence of a ninja and yet I couldn't detect this man's presence. How shameful. I stared down at the stranger being pushed into the back of an armored truck.

"I thought it was the hospital coming back for me." I tried to shake off that paranoid fear but it kept following me wherever I went.

"A hospital is supposed to help people," Vincent said with a shrug. I shifted my weight and sat upon the edge of the brick building.

"Well, call me pessimistic but I don't care too much for them." I watched the ghost like man tug at his long crimson coat, as if he were nervous about something. I kicked my heels against the red brick like a kid at a playground. "You know, you could just tell me the things the things you remember about me and you wouldn't have this fidgeting problem." I smiled at my attempt at humor and to lighten the mood. There was a small twitch in the man's jaw, which I presumed was his version of a grin.

"I can't do that. It's not my place." I let my eyes roam over him. He was handsome, in an almost tragic way; as if someone had molded him from perfection but let him collect dust on their shelf. He stood like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and paused to stand before me to stop my childish kicks.

"I know…some real bad stuff went down. But it's funny…the only thing I really want to know is who I am. What was I like? How did I know you?" Vincent's eyes absorbed every letter that dropped from my mouth and I knew he was trying to find an answer that wouldn't divulge the bigger issues at hand. Finally, he spoke.

"You used to be involved in the SOLDIER organization. You were part of a very elite group and I didn't meet you until after…the incident. Your personality was…sunny. You charismatic and people were instantly drawn to your charm. At least, that's what I've been told." A warm blush swept across my skin as I realized that was an attempt at a flirt. I cautiously cocked my head to the side, an innocent gesture sure to make him swoon with the availability of memories.

"Did we date…you and me?" He stepped back from me.

"What?"

"I mean, were we romantically involved?"

"No." The answer was short but not nearly as sweet as I was hoping. He spat it from his lips like a sour poison and the small gesture made my chest hurt. Aside from the shadow of mystery that enveloped him, Vincent seemed like a decent human being despite the harsh reply he just gave. "It wasn't like that, Seraph. You were involved…" My eyes darted up to his in excitement. So there WAS someone! I decided to change the subject before my emotions could be read on my face.

"Are you going to take me back to the hospital?" He shook his head and relief washed over me like a fresh rain. I didn't know what I was more relieved about: not getting caught, or not having to be caught by him.

"I wouldn't wish a hospital on you ever again. The things they've done to you…I can't even begin to imagine." I lifted my eyes to where he had been standing only to see a completely different set of scenery unfolding before me. The edges were fuzzy, as if my brain was like a camera that refused to function properly.

_The car garage, wet from a midnight rain brewing outside. The cement was absorbing the moisture in the air, creating a sticky atmosphere. I stood against a concrete pillar, shaking my head. Vincent was standing a few feet in front of me, his arms folded over his chest while contemplating the situation at hand. _

_"You've sealed my fate." He stepped forward and brushed a hand over my shoulder but it wasn't the kind of comfort I needed at the moment. The fear was seeping through my pores and surrounded us, drowned us with its dark stupor. _

_"They would've found out eventually, Seraph. Shinra always finds a way to figure out things." I met his eyes with my own, a fearsome scowl shadowing my features. _

_"You know damn well that's not what I'm talking about!" I buried my head into my hands and let the tears roll onto my skin. "Once he finds out…" _

_"I've seen you in battle. Physically, you are his equal." I glared at the man before me. No amount of training could prepare me for this kind of fear. _

_"I don't know what he's capable of now, Vincent!" My voice echoed through the empty car garage as my fists shook from the adrenaline. I sounded frenzied and frightened, but from what? Vincent brushed a gloved hand through my shorter locks. _

_"Nothing's going to happen to you, Seraph. I promise." _

* * *

A soft rain pounded against the cool glass of room unknown to me as I opened my eyes. The room was coated in a blue veil of light from the clouded moon above. I stretched out against the softness underneath me and upon noticing my surroundings, realized I was in a hotel room. It wasn't anything fancy but the warm bed felt heavenly and it was a nice change from my previous environment. I turned to my side to see Vincent's body perched on the window sill, his cloaked frame gazing out the window in deep thought.

"You blacked out. I brought you here so that you could regain some of your strength." I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest. I shivered as long tendrils of hair cascaded down my shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. My head fell to my arms, my body not quite ready to re-energize.

"So, what happened after that night in the parking garage? That was the memory I saw when I blacked out." I was becoming accustomed to the periods of blackness, when my own private puzzle was laid out before me in scattered pieces. Vincent turned to me, surprised that I had remembered so many details. His feet made a loud thunk as they met the floor and he turned his back to me once more. His reflection in the window gave no indication that he was ready to divulge that information until a small circle of fog clouded the window from a heavy sigh.

"You died."


	5. We Meet At Last

**Behind Every Great Man - We Meet At Last**

* * *

My eyes widened as the words left his mouth and fell upon my ears. I knew that I had been in a coma, hence the loss of memories and what not, but I had actually _died?_ I could feel my chest tighten underneath the cotton clothing I adorned and my breath quickened. I had seen myself in action and although I had yet to face an enemy whose talent was equal to mine, I knew that it would take a great amount of strength to actually kill me. My blue green eyes remained glued to the window as Vincent approached the edge of my bed.

"Tomorrow, you're going over to Tifa's bar." A flash of a fiery woman with a harsh right jab sparked inside my brain.

_"You're one of THEM, why would you help us?"_ The air couldn't hit my lungs fast enough as I whispered out "Wait…"

"You're going to use her computer and look up the files within Shinra's online system." Another flash of a corporate logo sped throughout my mind at a rapid pace. "You will type in the code A471 into the SOLDIER database." A silky, seductive voice reached my ears as I the hairs on my body stood up in excitement.

_"These men have no idea just how well you could actually serve them if instructed properly…if instructed by me…"_

I tried to choke back the fear as it strangled my insides. Tears were filling up my line of vision as I quietly begged Vincent to hold off on these memories with a gargled "Wait…" He closed his eyes as if considering my tearful pleas but continued on instead.

"There you will find your file and some background information that will help you in your search. Keep in mind that this isn't your biography and there is still a chest of memories to be uncovered. Once you've read your file, type in the code Z27F." This time my tears were falling freely as I screamed "WAIT", but it was too late, the floodgates had been opened and images were filling my skull. They came at me all at once: a tall man stepping forward in rank to receive new orders, a dark silhouette crowded by angry flames, the cyan colored eyes that looked more feline than human and put the strongest individual on edge when looking into them, and the silver tresses of hair that shrouded those beautiful features whenever he was engaged in battle…

I could clearly see him now as I remembered my lips hovering above his ear, those same wisps of hair tickling my cheek: _"You have so much power. They should be at your feet, begging you to reconsider their lives. The world should be spinning in the palm of your hand!" _I gasped as the faint whisper created a small crack in my dam of recollections, allowing them to spill forth. Vincent looked away as a single word escaped my mouth in a hushed tone: "Sephiroth." Everything went black once more.

_

* * *

_

_Leather boots clicked down the mundane hallway as I ran down a side corridor. My alarm had once again failed me and I was now horrendously late for a very important test. I could hear the stiff melody of those boots kissing the tile floor but didn't think anything of it. The SOLDIER headquarters heard lots of boots clunking down lots of hallways. I had done pretty well in physics to know that I couldn't slow down my heated pace in time without making impact with the person coming around the corner and I braced myself for the collision. However, I didn't hit anything at all. Two firm hands held me at arm's length and I boldly pried a single eye open to catch a glimpse of the most handsome being I had ever had the chance of running into. I opened my mouth to deliver a poetic apology. _

_"Stop. A wonderful chemical reaction following the laws of attraction just took place. Don't ruin it by talking." My initial reaction was blinded by the charm seeping from his smile and it created a tempestuous delight until I realized that he mildly offended me. My naivety had kicked in and I soon found my mouth working against me. I bowed smugly in front of him, a devilish grin brushing against my lips. _

_"Forgive me for rounding the corner so hastily. It's a good thing your ego was there to stop me; I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I marred that pretty little face of yours." I was playful by nature and passionate by fate. I kept the tone light and it didn't go unnoticed upon the young man. My commanding officer shouted down the hallway and questioned the absence of my needed attendance this morning. The handsome stranger in front of me smirked and leaned down until I could hear the air escaping his mouth. _

_"I hope your bite is better than your bark." And he continued on his original trek, never looking back to steal a glance of my jaw dropping and my cheeks reddening. He already knew the affect of his words. I shook my head free of the events that had just unfolded and raced into the room I was supposed to be in all along. _

_

* * *

_

_Today was my day. I had filled out the paperwork, succumbed to the mental torture of my commanding officer and mastered every physical skill taught to me. I was studied and noted and complimented on my fighting techniques. Verbal promises of a bright future in the ranks of SOLDIER were to be expected and today I was going to go in for my final test. It would be a simulated combat with an unknown enemy and the outcome would determine which class I would fall into. I knew I had a long road to get to first class but I was also arrogant and expected to at least be a 2__nd __class. _

_I sat down in the waiting room, my foot tapping impatiently against the Oriental rug that adorned the floor. Two others were seated beside me with looks of sheer terror pasted on their faces. After what seemed like an eternity, my name was called and I was led into a dark room where the only light available came from a single spot light set upon a metal table of various weapons. _

_"Seraph, choose your weapon wisely…" A loud voice boomed over an intercom system and I glanced around the room to see if I could spot the men who were judging me. Giving up on that small search, I approached the table and skimmed over the slim choices. I finally settled on a sleek katana as the room transformed into a serene cliff side with waves crashing below. I absolutely loved these simulations for they always took me to breathtaking places of beauty. A lighthouse was already rotating its bulb as the twilight sky singed the clouds with stark shades of pink. The high sea wind caught the loose tendrils of hair that had escaped my bun and I inhaled the salty air. This was perfection. I caught on to the familiar clicking of boots as they entered the scene and turned to meet the cat like eyes of my seductive stranger. _

_"Are you kidding me? Don't you have better things to do?" He didn't speak, just simply smirked with a conceited confidence and lunged at me with an aggressiveness I wasn't prepared for. Our swords clashed and I had to regain my wits with every strike. He was faster than I had expected and I had to keep moving in order to ever hope of getting the upper hand. I ran towards the lighthouse with as much speed as I could muster but he was quickly beside me, his Masamune slashing at my issued attire. He closed the distance between us once more; that damned smirk never leaving his mouth. It was then that I realized that he hadn't been using the entirety of his strength. I let the blade slice my hand as I pushed it towards his right side, allowing skin to skin contact. We fell to the ground, our blades being tossed to the side for the time being. My fist flew through the air and was easily blocked, although my kicks managed to impact him. We fought in hand to hand combat for what seemed like forever until I finally tripped him up and straddled his body. He was still smiling as I wrapped my thin fingers around the leather straps gracing his chest. "Stop it! Stop going easy on me!" The smile vanished as I was thrown into the air like a timid ragdoll. _

_Hours rolled by and I could feel the sweat rolling down my neck and into the valley between my breasts. A long gash on my shoulder hindered my performance but I wasn't faltering in front of him. I had asked for this and he was simply complying. He had diverted my magic attacks and thwarted my sword skills. A tight wound above my eyebrow was allowing blood to trickle into my line of sight but none of this could dampen my mood for standing in front of me was a man with a wound stretching across his shoulder blades. I still wasn't sure how I had managed to wound him, but I was proud nonetheless. His ego was bruised and that perfect body was now going to have a scar. I grinned as our swords clashed once again, only this time he managed to knock the katana from my grasp. A swift kick to my abdomen sent me to the ground with his blade driven into the rocks beside my head. He sat upon my body like a proud king on his throne and my chest tightened with the pressure of his weight. _

_"You're good…but you could be great." With that, he pulled me to my feet and led me to an exit as the simulation deteriorated. His left hand was warm against the small of my back but I shivered nonetheless as he led me to my exit. A lower ranked officer met us at the door and was instructed to see to my gashes. Another man came running up behind him as the attractive stranger pushed me towards the officer._

_"Sephiroth! You're needed upstairs!" My jaw dropped as the realization hit me all at once. I had just battled with one of the greatest warriors that ever graced SOLDIER and more importantly, I had drawn blood. I watched his dark figure disappear into the training room, a streak of red spreading across the silver strands of hair that lay upon his back. This time, before he vanished, he turned and smiled at me before the door closed. A week later, I was assigned to him. _

* * *

I winced as the light pink hues of dawn pushed into my line of sight. Had all of this been a dream? Did I imagine Vincent and the hotel room? A trickle of cold water trailed down my cheek as a washcloth was pressed down onto my forehead. A blonde man hovered above me, his serious expression set in stone and a firm frown taking the place of a buried smile. He had probably once been happy, but years of loss and turmoil taught him that these times didn't constitute smiles.

"I told you that you shouldn't have bombarded her with so much information at once." He was talking to a dark figure in the corner who I could only assume was Vincent. I guess it wasn't a dream after all. A few clunks of his feet crossing the floor and the small slam of a door shutting behind him were his answers to the man. The blonde stranger sighed and drenched my cloth with more water, only to find my own eyes staring at him. His presence was incredibly calming; as if the biggest catastrophe could happen at that exact moment and yet you would know that he was there to protect you. I felt lighter than the sky. "Welcome back." I couldn't be sure if he was welcoming me back into consciousness or back into life but I was okay with it either way. My mind flashed to a never ending sky with the bluest backdrop and a sea of the softest…clouds? He smirked as I realized that I had said the word aloud. "Close enough…there's no 's'. It's just Cloud." I moved to sit up but it seemed like the weight of the world was sitting atop my skull. Cloud pushed me gently back into the mattress. I was no longer in the hotel but a quaint little room that smelled of home.

"What happened?" I pushed my fingers underneath the wet cloth until they met with a tender bruise with a matching cut across my forehead. He diligently set to equipping a bandage for my head and applied a cool cream over the injury.

"You blacked out and bumped your head on an end table. Vincent brought you here." He stuck the bandage over the pulsing wound and continued to speak. "The bump on your head probably didn't help with the amnesia." I shook my head and looked down at my hands. So much had happened the last couple of days and any other person would be completely exhausted and yet, I was ready to get back out there. The memory of Sephiroth was still fresh in my mind. I grinned at Cloud.

"A471 and Z27F!" He blinked at me before patting me on my soft head in a gesture meant for children as he positioned a lap top in front of me.

"Tifa will be up in a bit to help you." He stood up to leave the room but I was quick enough to grasp on to his wrist. I held it for a moment, knowing that he had known me before all this mess had happened. He had known me and he had liked me and he had trusted me. The kindness in his eyes would be able to me that without any words. But I wanted to hear it. I wanted him to tell me that yes; he had known me, perhaps for a long time. I wanted him to talk about the fun times we had shared and why he trusted me right now. Instead, he held my hand with his free grip and rubbed the top of my pale appendage. He would tell me everything I needed to know in due time, but I was sent on a mission and I needed to see to that first.

She didn't say much when she first entered the room. She just kind of stood there, studying me, as if I were going to attack her at any second. I remained seated on the bed, my legs crossed and my hands folded neatly in my lap. I didn't want to meet her gaze but at the same time, I wanted to pick her to pieces with questions. Tifa slowly made her way to the bed, stationing herself on the other end and as far away from me as she could physically get away with. I could tell from the way she was sitting that she was uncomfortable around me and the air around us was becoming stiff. Sighing, I tucked a loose chunk of chestnut hair behind my ear and smiled reassuringly.

"Crazy weather we're having, hm?" That was all it took. The woman crossed the space between us and attacked me with a tight embrace.

"It IS you! Cloud tried to tell me that you wouldn't remember but whenever you embarrassed yourself you would always comment on the weather!" I didn't have the heart to tell her that that wasn't the reason I mentioned the weather but I didn't care. She was already typing away in a happy banter about how so much time had passed since we had last spoken. As she pulled up the needed database, she turned to me with a seriousness etched in her features that I couldn't describe and spoke, "Let's just forget what happened between us before…before that whole mess, okay?" I nodded. In this case it was easier done than said.

She quickly punched in the first file name I quoted and turned the screen towards me so I could see the words filling up the screen. A full length picture was staring back at me and although the hair was a few inches shorter, I easily recognized my own picture. The word 'Seraph' was printed in bold black letters followed by an identification number. Underneath, a big red banner was printed over the text with the word 'confidential' screaming out. Tifa sighed and called up Cloud from downstairs. I didn't understand. Why was my file confidential? I heard the murmurs in the hallways and could easily tell that Cloud was calling Vincent. The spunky woman came back in and hastily typed in the second file name. I eagerly stored the few details away in my brain that the computer had shed some light on. I was 25 years old, a highly decorated 1st class member of SOLDIER, and I was female. The last part I had gathered pretty early on in this investigation. The screen changed to a new file, this time with the man from my memories. It was the infamous Sephiroth. I had anticipated finding out information on him and I held my breath as the file photo revealed the flowing silver tresses and the sea green eyes. I feared that I uttered a single whisper then he would disappear, and I would be left without knowing why he was such an integral part of me. There wasn't an actual file on him except his list of commendations and awards. He was more decorated than I. I turned to meet Cloud's face next to mine, his lovely orbs fixated on the same man I was mentally drooling over.

"He was considered a hero within SOLDIER, but when he learned of the experiments performed on him with the Jenova cells, he went mad and tried to destroy the planet. Something just broke that last nerve." I turned to Cloud.

"Jenova?" He grabbed a small bronze hand mirror from the table next to the bed and held it in front of my face. I had seen this face before, but it was different now that Cloud was standing to the side of it like another reflection. I studied the small, feminine nose and the pouty lips that thinned when I smiled and the small bunch of freckles that dotted the top of my nose. A person had to be studying me closely to see them, though.

"Every member of SOLDIER had Jenova's cells injected into their bodies. Jenova was an alien calamity that tried to destroy the planet. That odd color of your eyes – that bluish green hue – you have it because you were a member of SOLDIER. You were a guinea pig…just like Sephiroth."


	6. Shadow

**Behind Every Great Man – Shadow**

* * *

I rubbed the sides of my head in frustration and mumbled a few choice words to myself. So much information had been absorbed and I felt like that at any moment, my brain would combust from the overload of information. A small buzz sounded off within the room and both Cloud and I's gazes fell upon his right pocket. Saved by the buzz! He nodded at me politely before heading out into the hallway to take his call. I groaned out loud and let the weight of the universe push me into the soft folds of the bed. Inhaling the musty scent of a bed well lived in, I smiled. This place seemed so homey and I could easily get used to such a comfortable setting. I pushed the lap top off of my thighs and rolled over onto my side. Looking back at me was a black and white photo of Tifa and Cloud nestled into a shiny silver frame. The girl was smiling at the camera while Cloud just stared off at something behind the lens. He obviously didn't want his picture taken but I presumed that the girl had more of an influence over him than he was willing to admit.

The photo reminded me of the ones I had found at Athos' home of Sephiroth and me. I cursed out loud as I tried to remember if we had been romantically involved. When nothingness reared its ugly head once again, I slammed my fist against the end table and dragged my hands over my face. I didn't even feel the table shake but there had to have been some kind of tremor for within seconds of my small tantrum, the sound of glass breaking echoed inside the room. I jumped to my feet to witness the death of such a beautiful object. Shards of glass were littered around the fame and I mournfully scooped them up into a small pile. It wasn't until I picked up the silver frame that I noticed a yellowed envelope tucked behind the photo. The name Samantha Bone was scribbled messily on the front. I couldn't hold back my curiosity and I easily pried open the old paper with the tip of my finger. I silently read the letter inside.

_My dearest Samantha – _

_I have kept my end of the bargain. I have you kept well-informed of this project and it's time you accepted my hand in marriage. To conclude our agreement, I will tell you the outcome of the project. The mutated Jenova cells are showing great promise! The human subject has reacted positively and the strain shows no signs of degeneration. Project S has turned out just as well! That particular subject is showing skill within SOLDIER and it's only a matter of time before our new subject is involved with the program too. I'm sure you can understand my excitement over these outcomes with the strain of mutated cells! With that said, how does a June wedding sound? _

_Lovingly yours,_

_Greg Morrissey_

I had just finished reading the last line when I heard the faint whoosh of tattered fabric rustling against a body. I turned to find Vincent staring at me. He glanced down at the envelope, knowing that I had found something I wasn't particularly ready for. I hadn't known this man for very long since my awakening but I had grown to expect the truth from him. He had brought me this far, after all. I held up the letter so he could easily see the messy lettering and the vulgar attempts at cursive. My eyes thinned into angry slits.

"You're leaving something out, Vincent." He had told me about the files. He had led me to Cloud who told me about the Jenova cells. Why didn't he mention this man or this letter? I backed up cautiously as he took a few steps forward.

"I've led you in the right direction. Greg Morrissey isn't any of your concern. He's –"

"You're keeping something from me!" My voice was louder this time and I could feel my nails puncturing the crackling paper. I shook the letter within my fist, as if I were holding onto some kind of incriminating evidence. He finally looked down, his high collar shielding his expression from my sight.

"You're safer for not knowing." I lost it. I angrily crumpled up the letter and tossed it at his shoulder. It wouldn't do any damage but I felt a bit better releasing that aggression in the form of a paper machete.

"You promised you wouldn't let anything happen to me!" He visibly flinched and I mentally congratulated myself for the insult. I knew there had to be something that could pierce that cold armor he wore around his emotions.

We stared at each other, not able to say anything. The sun was beginning to cast its last bow to the earth as it started descending from the sky, allowing the stars of twilight to twinkle brightly. I finally sighed inwardly and headed downstairs in search of the wonderful aroma that was filling up the house. I had grown weary of Vincent and his trivial conversations.

* * *

Cloud was a much better cook than I thought. He didn't strike me as the type to cook for others but as I walked down the stairs, I smiled and watched him stir the giant pot of stew like a professional chef. The hearty meal was even more delicious than it smelled, if possible. It consisted of healthy portions of meat and large chunks of perfectly seasoned potatoes. A few vegetables set off the entire medley and I eagerly shoved it down my throat. I didn't realize just how hungry I was. I had snacked on a few things while setting up camp with Athos but I had gone through quite a bit since then. My stomach was able to hold three bowls worth of the stew and as I slurped down the last few drops, I noticed the rest of the gang staring at me. Tifa grinned and shook her head.

"You always did have an appetite. I always wondered how you stayed in shape." I opened my mouth to reply but I didn't remember any of what she had said. I didn't ever remember eating like I just had and I certainly didn't remember the exercise regime that kept off the weight. I politely excused myself and prepared the dishes for washing. It was the least I could do after taking up so much of their time and hospitality. I turned on the hot tap and let the warm water cascade over the metal bowls. A few pink bubbles from the wash soap flew up towards my nose and I wrinkled it in hopes of throwing them off course. After a few moments, I felt a presence behind me.

"You don't have to do those," said Tifa. I scrunched my eyebrows together and continued washing. "You can stay here as long as you need a roof over your head. We'll take everything one day at a time." I finally turned to meet her friendly smile and quietly thanked her.

I could only imagine that heaven felt something like the bed I was given. The mattress conformed to my body and hugged every curve in a warm embrace. The pillow gently cradled my head and it wasn't long after I had changed into an old t-shirt of Cloud's that I fell asleep underneath the patchwork quilt. I retraced the events that had taken place before another memory began to fog up my dreams.

_

* * *

_

_I shifted uneasily under the gaze of my mentor who was studying my incredulously. It was the last day for all new recruitments before they left for holiday. Only first class members were needed to run a skeleton crew at SOLDIER headquarters. The last few lackeys were packing up the needed essentials but the rest of the compound was almost deserted. _

_"Try it again." I had chosen to spend my holiday at headquarters until further notice from Athos. He had only been retired for a few years and I didn't want to pester him quite yet. He should enjoy his peace and quiet. Since I had made my choice of where my living quarters were to be for the next few days, I had taken the opportunity to further my training with Sephiroth. We didn't have much one on one time so this chance was golden for me. He had chosen a particularly hard technique to practice and it was one I had had visible trouble with before. I clasped my hand around the base of the wooden katana and braced myself for the attack. Once again, the stealthy general had out maneuvered me and I fell to the ground. A few yards away, I heard the high pitched snickers of another SOLDIER member. His name was Antony and although he was quite a bit stronger than most of his class, I had placed above him in ranking. I could suppose that it hurt his ego to be outranked by a woman and he taunted me every chance he got. I winced in embarrassment as Sephiroth extended his hand to help me up, his eyes turning on the young man laughing. "State your rank." I watched the holy terror fall into stance alongside his buddies. _

_"Antony Pickett, 4__th__ class officer!" I watched my commanding officer size him up before grinning. _

_"Is there something you find entertaining over here, Mr. Pickett?" The lower ranked SOLDIER nodded his head. "Well, please…do us the honor of sharing the jest?" The young man nodded towards me, his smirk vanishing underneath the cold stare of a 1__st__ class officer. Sephiroth followed his nod and tucked his fists behind his back. _

_"That girl…sir…is an embarrassment to this establishment." I could feel my cheeks redden with a mixture of humiliation and anger. I suddenly found the ground more appeasing than the situation unfolding before me. The platinum haired man once again smirked and strode towards my form slowly. _

_"Why, pray tell, do you consider her an embarrassment? Is it the fact that she out ranks you or is it just because she's a woman?" My eyes widened as I realized that the usually stoic hero was standing up for me! Antony Pickett stuttered an explanation, claiming that because I was a woman I had more of an influence over the mostly male organization. Sephiroth circled him, like a shark preparing for its only strike. "So you're saying that she enticed her way up the ranks?" The man nodded smugly. "Then you're also saying that she has no skill whatsoever, as well?" Again, the man nodded, liking where the conversation was heading. Sephiroth nodded, strolling up to his Masamune perched beside a tree. He let the blade shine underneath our gazes before turning the handle towards me, inviting me to take hold of the infamous sword. I gripped it with both hands as my teacher walked up to Antony. "So prove it." He crossed his arms over his chest as Antony pulled out a long battle ax from his bag. _

_He crossed the few feet of bare ground and attacked me with as much vigor as a starving puppy. I was amazed at how lightweight the Masamune felt in my hands and I beamed with pride as I deflected every single blow Antony bestowed. The lower ranked SOLDIER was exerting too much energy and it was showing as his attacks became slower with exhaustion. His buddies were yelling him on but it meant little as I spied Sephiroth's satisfied simper. Antony pushed a long strand of raven colored hair from his face and huffed in frustration. _

_"This isn't a fair battle! She has your great blade to aid her!" I could feel my jaw visibly drop and tossed the blade towards my tutor. He eyed me with suspicion and surprise as I stood my ground in front of Antony, unarmed. He came at me once again and I easily side stepped him and attacked his knees. He fell to the ground and I again went after a tender joint in his shoulders, causing him to drop his weapon. With fierceness, I swiped the ax from the ground and held the blade to his throat. Sephiroth took his time in strolling up beside the lower SOLDIER member and patted his shoulder for emphasis. _

_"Do you still think she charmed her way up the ranks?" _

_"N-No sir." He motioned for me to lower my newly acquired weapon. _

_"Seraph, return his weapon to him so that he may leave the premises." I did as told and handed Antony his battle ax. He lowered his head in shame and refused to look me in the eye. As he turned to leave, I happened to see Sephiroth lean down to ear level and whisper something to the lower SOLDIER. His lengthy locks kept his lips shadowed but the look of fear was evident in Antony's features. I picked up the wooden katana and acted as if I had seen nothing even though my mind was racing with different scenarios that could've played out during that private conversation. Soon, the group of males had wandered off and I was once again alone with the heroic general. "Pathetic. I genuinely worry for the future of SOLDIER if the organization is filled with ingrates like that." I'm sure the statement was aimed at putting me at ease but the damage had been done. I knew what was whispered behind my back and I was well aware of the rumors floating around that I hadn't earned my position. But none of the other men had had the audacity to publicly humiliate me like that and in front of my superior nonetheless. Sephiroth caught on to the emotion._

_"You proved yourself today, Seraph. Do not let their cheap words have influence over you; otherwise they will know your weakness." I shivered slightly as a light snow began to dance around us. _

_"What did you whisper to him?" I refused to meet my teacher's gaze with my own but I could feel those sea green eyes boring into me. _

_"That is none your concern." He motioned towards the brown lump at the base of a tree slowly being buried by the snow. "I've grown weary of sword play for now. Show me what book you've chosen to bury your nose in these days." I chuckled at this. In the time I had spent with him, Sephiroth had learned that I had a great love for wonderful stories and I spent a great deal of my down time in the city's library. It had become an ongoing joke that I could waste hours at a time reading up on great adventures instead of actually living them. I paid no mind to them, of course, mostly because I secretly thought that my mentor loved hearing about my beautiful books. I plopped down on a giant root that had unearthed itself and dug into my bag for my latest novel. Sephiroth leaned up against the rough bark and patiently waited for me to deliver the plot line, the antagonist, and reasoning behind my admiration for my favorite character. I explained that the story was about a man who was terrorized by the beating heart of an old man he had murdered even though everyone else was oblivious to the sound. _

_"A bit morbid for your tastes", he asked? I shook my head. My cell phone came alive for the first time all day and I hastily scanned over a text message from Athos inquiring about my whereabouts. I ignored the message and placed my phone back into my pocket. The action didn't go unnoticed but I continued on with the conversation. _

_"I'll admit that the last book I read was a bit more romantic and the one before that a bit more adventurous, but I like to surf through all the genres in the world of literature." He smiled at this and agreed that it was a good basis for a thrilling story. With this said, he turned and picked up my bag for me. _

_"Your holiday started two hours ago. It's time for you to take a much needed vacation." I took the bag from his hand and threw the sling over my shoulder. _

* * *

I yawned and stretched within the confines of the wonderful bed. It was a pleasant dream and I could only pray that the rest of my memories were delivered so easily. I turned to the window on the far side of the room and noticed that the other two beds weren't occupied. A soft yellow light poured in through the crack of an almost closed door and I carefully placed both of my bare feet down on the wooden floor. Silently, I crossed the bedroom and headed out into the hallway, passing the sleeping forms of the two orphans Cloud and Tifa had taken in tucked soundly in their beds. Down below the walkway, I could see the trio of Cloud, Tifa, and Vincent sitting around the dinner table. I watched as both men leaned back in the chairs, the minds heavy with thought. The raven haired woman was the only one with a bright smile plastered to her face.

"We have to help her. She helped us, remember?" Cloud shook his head, unable to digest the memory. It was obvious they were talking about me and I crouched lower so I could hear well.

"Shadow's come back." Vincent's voice was low and deadly. I could hear Tifa's voice change at the mentioning of the mysterious Shadow.

"I thought we took care of Shadow." Cloud leaned forward and suddenly found the wooden table in need of dusting from his leather glove.

"Obviously, Shadow's learned that Seraph has awakened." At that, I watched in horror as the sea green eyes moved up to the stairwell to where I had been perched. I had moved into the shadows long before his eyes would have fallen upon me but I was shaking on the inside. I didn't like the sound of this Shadow and I certainly didn't need anyone else out to get me.


	7. Wings of Fire

**Behind Every Great Man – Wings of Fire**

* * *

After a well deserved night's rest, I felt completely energized. The blood running through my veins seemed to electrify my body with an energy that I hadn't felt in a long time. It was different from the adrenaline of a fight and the endorphins of attraction. This was just…happiness. I had managed to coerce some information leading to the whereabouts of a motorcycle from Tifa. The real dilemma, however, was trying to convince Cloud to let me borrow it. I had debated the fact that I just wanted to go sight see and breathe some fresh air outside of the city and that I would be back before lunch time. He, in turn, claimed that this was his lifeline. He used the motorcycle to make deliveries and the absence of the vehicle would be a strain on business. His longtime friend chirped from the background that no deliveries were scheduled and the small adventure would do me good. He stared at me for a long while before shaking his head and fetching the bike from the garage.

"Do you remember how to drive one of these things?" I pulled the machine from his grasp and straddled the seat with my lean legs.

"No. But it shouldn't be too hard. I mean, it'll be like riding a bicycle. It'll just come to me!" I laughed at the horrific expression etched across his face. He pried my hands from the starter and began to push my body towards the back with his own.

"Maybe I should drive instead." I chuckled and shooed his body away.

"Cloud…I won't wreck it, I promise. Just show me the accelerator and the brake and I'll do just fine." He did just that and after a test spin to prove that I had the hang of it, he tossed me a helmet and let me go at it.

The country side surrounding the city was a barren and desolate wasteland. Plant life was nearly extinct and the dry landscapes made me thirsty for the lush gardens I had grown up with. I drove until I could no longer see the skylines of the city without squinting. Out here I had total freedom. There were no hospitals poking and prodding me with needles. There were no police forces cornering me in libraries. And most importantly, memories weren't striking my brain with a harsh ferocity. I tore the helmet from my head and let the breeze carry my chestnut colored locks for me. Growing a little braver, I situated myself so that I could keep the bike balanced but kept my arms free. And slowly, I let them stretch out from my sides. Bending my head back, I let the wind fly around me in a wild embrace. It felt as if I were…flying. I laughed as the air drove past my fingers and graced my cheeks. It was the lightest of touches and I grew reminiscent of a time where my cheek had been brushed like this before. I melted into the gusts and blew a fond kiss towards the heavens.

_

* * *

_

_"You shouldn't lean over the railings like that. They're old and rickety. We wouldn't want you falling underneath the train, now would we?" I pulled myself away from my little slice of utopia and stared at the owner of the bright voice. He was young and quite handsome, but his eyes held a childish nature, much like my own. The jade colored eyes told me that he was a member of the same organization as me and I smiled warmly at a familiar presence. Truth be told, I hadn't seen him before in my life but I was willing to make his acquaintance. _

_"I'll be careful." He moved up beside me, resting his arms on the railing and ignoring his own warning. He pointed at the issued sword planted on my back. _

_"You're with SOLDIER? How come I've never seen you? It would be kind of hard to miss someone as pretty as you!" I stifled the laughter bubbling in my stomach. It had been so long since I received male attention and this man was quite good at flirting. _

_"You're charming, I'll give you that much. Seraph…SOLDIER 2__nd__ class." I stuck my hand out in a friendly gesture and he eagerly shook it. We returned to our perches alongside the railing. _

_"Seraph…that's an unusual name. Refers to angels, doesn't it?" I nodded. Athos had told me the story of how my parents had named me time and time again. They took one look at me and decided that I was an angel who had gotten lost on her way to heaven. It was incredibly cheesy and I figured that it was Athos' way of building up my confidence. _

_"Seraphs were part of the highest order of angels and were either depicted as a child's head with wings or had wings of fire." I watched the man's face scrunch in horror. _

_"I like the wings of fire better." I laughed at this. For the rest of the train ride, we shared stories of our time in SOLDIER and he was amazed to learn that Sephiroth had taken me on as a pupil. "He's only, like, the most famous guy in SOLDIER." I nodded. I had learned a great deal about the man but I didn't let his celebrity shadow his talent. He was an incredible swordsman and he could teach me so much. The stranger gawked at me. _

_"Yeah…right…that's the ONLY reason you spend time with him- to sharpen your skills?" What was he implying? I playfully pinched his arm and stared out at the horizon taking my hometown's shape. _

_"Sephiroth…he's a lot of things. And I'll admit he's very…attractive. But he only sees me as a pupil. I don't think any man sees me as a woman in SOLDIER." My ego was shaky at best these days. The man changed positions so that he could look me straight in the eyes. _

_"Trust me, a woman that looks like you doesn't go unnoticed in SOLDIER. Those men know you exist; they just have to keep professional about it. I'm sure even the great Sephiroth will succumb to that pretty face of yours sooner or later." I blushed on the outside but on the inside, I was thankful to hear those words. "And if he doesn't falter under your gaze, then he will under your strength. I've heard you're quite good with that blade." He tapped on the cheap metal from the SOLDIER issued weapon. I quirked an eyebrow and rested my hands on my slender hips. _

_"I thought you said you didn't know anything about me!" He clicked his tongue and waved a finger in front of my face. _

_"I said I've never seen you. Your name comes up quite a bit around headquarters. Rumor has it that you managed to wound Sephiroth." I refused to acknowledge the truth out of respect for my mentor. He had an image to uphold! From inside the train, I could hear the conductor calling out the name of my town and I waited for the train to stop at the wooden platform that connected to the little station. I easily jumped the railing and watched as my new friend tossed my bag over to me. _

_"I'd say that I've heard about you as well, but I never did catch your name…" He grinned and spoke a single syllable._

* * *

"Zack!" The motorcycle underneath me wavered and I had to think quickly to stop the bike from wrecking. The memory had come fast and I wasn't prepared for it. Luckily, my balance had been mastered long ago and I was able to keep a steady path. Zack Fair had been the name called out from the train and although it had been our first meeting, it certainly wasn't our last. I scanned the area around me and came upon the buster sword he had carried with him for so long stuck into the barren earth. I dismounted the motorcycle and walked over to the small memorial. It didn't take a psychic to know that my dear friend was no longer here and a single tear fell down my cheek. I couldn't recall the memory but my heart felt the heavy burden of someone lost. I mournfully traced the aged metal and tried to say an impromptu prayer. Words were lost on me and I rubbed the salty smudges from my face. Racing back to the bike, I rummaged through Cloud's leather satchel until I scavenged a little shred of paper and an ink pen. I quickly scribbled a message and crumbled up the piece of paper into a tight little ball before digging a small hole by the sword. I gently laid the paper in the hole and covered it with the discarded dirt and pebbles. Someday, I would be asked what I had written on my little note and I would simply reply, "Did they give you wings of fire?"

The outskirts of town were very refreshing. The cool air flushed my skin to a rosy hue and my hair became wild and windblown. The scenery didn't change much – mountain here, shrub there, dry dirt EVERYWHERE. I turned the bike around to head home after a half a day's journey and spotted a group of kids running out of a canyon laughing. I slowed the motorcycle down to a stop at the bottom of the giant crevice and nudged the oldest child. He brushed me off and moved towards the larger groups of kids. Well that was hateful, I thought. But his movement unveiled a younger girl cowering at the opening. She was no more than seven and her bright red hair was bold against the neutral tones of the rock. Her face was smudged with dirt and fresh streaks of tears were falling helplessly down her cheeks. I kneeled down to her level and handed her the fallen doll at her feet.

"Here you go. Why so blue panda bear?" It was a term of endearment used throughout my own childhood. The little girl wiped away a good portion of the tears and sniffled as she looked me up and down. She was probably deciding whether I was a danger or not. She thought the latter for she pointed to the group of older kids crowding in front of an old house.

"They scared me! They tried to trick me into going inside that house!" I followed her finger to the decrepit building. It wasn't so much that age was destroying it, but rather neglect. It was a Victorian style house nested deep inside the crevice. I found it odd that someone would build a home in such an odd place and I was positive that light was once able to streak through and shine on the house if it wasn't for the overgrown yard and wicked looking trees. Most of the windows had been broken but it didn't strike me as the type of house that would be broken into. The angry holes in the windows were bouts of revenge, not as a means to enter. I turned back to the small girl with a warm smile.

"What's so scary about a house?" The small ringlets framed her face delicately and they shook with excitement as she retold the urban legend.

"That house is haunted!" I needed more information than that.

"It doesn't look like anyone's ever lived there, though." She scrunched her nose at this and sighed with frustration as if she were speaking to someone younger than she.

"A great man used to live there but he went away. My mom said he went insane and tried to destroy the planet!" I drew my lips into a wide "O" with mock surprise. "But he didn't win! He disappeared after and nobody saw him again for a long time…but he left the Stigma." I remembered the geostigma. I could recall hearing my doctors talking about it for quite awhile but it never registered with me.

"And this man…he lived here?" She nodded and crushed her doll to her chest. I stood up and took a few steps towards the home. So this was Sephiroth's humble abode? I felt the little girl stand by my side, her tiny hand pulling on my jacket.

"I have dreams…sometimes…that he'll come back." I narrowed my eyes at her. She glanced back at the bike and eyed Nemesis on the end of it. "But you could fight him with that!" I almost wanted to laugh at that until I saw two of the boys near Cloud's vehicle and my weapon.

"Hey!" I stalked towards them, yanked the keys from the ignition, and strapped the large scythe to my shoulders. "Don't touch." The little girl stuck her tongue out at them and grinned at me in admiration. She probably got picked on by them all the time. I stared off into the gloomy aura of the house. "That man you told me about…he won't come back."

"How do you know?" Her large, doe like eyes peered at me with so many questions. Truth be told, I couldn't answer her.

* * *

Cloud was leaning against the front door when I pulled up. His features were shadowed and I couldn't quite tell if he was angry with me or not – I was only an hour late! I idly walked past him and gasped when his hand shot out and grabbed my elbow.

"You're late. You told me you would be back by lunch time." I shook him off and propped my body up against the doorframe.

"I ran into something." This peaked his interest and I could clearly see the worry in his face.

"Trouble?" I shook my head and his shoulders visibly slumped although whether it was from relief or disappointment, I couldn't tell.

"I found Sephiroth's home. A bunch of kids were tossing rocks at it and whispering things about it being haunted. I didn't go inside, though. But…if I do decide to go inside, I'd like you to go with me." He nodded and started towards his machine. "I also paid some respect to an old friend." I watched his muscles tense at the mentioning of Zack. "Why didn't you tell me, Cloud?"

"I…I didn't think you would remember."

"I don't…well, not much. I saw snippets today and little remnants of him would peek through. But I know he was dear to me…dear to a lot of people." I turned to head into the house but was stopped by the almost whisper like tone of Cloud's voice.

"He spoke fondly of you and you were one of two people that he would call on his down time. You two were partners once…did a lot of missions together until you were promoted to 1st and asked to serve with Sephiroth. But you remained close to him. He admitted he was attracted to you at first but after awhile, he considered you like family." I could feel my chest tighten with every word. I wanted to remember this man, but I couldn't.

"How did he…?" I couldn't finish my question; my heart wouldn't allow it.

"Gunned down."


	8. Kiss, Kiss

**Behind Every Great Man – Kiss, Kiss**

* * *

I tossed and turned for most of the night while everyone else was snuggled in their beds. I was plagued by the same memory of the first time I had met Zack. I wanted to remember as much as I could but nothing came and I figured that eventually they would return to me. A loud buzz startled me from my state of insomnia. The source of the loud noise came from Cloud's cell phone that had been placed on the end table by my bed. I scanned the bedroom to see if anyone else had heard the noise but Tifa was snoring quietly in the other bed while Cloud's chest silently moved up and down in a sleepy rhythm on a cot. Neither of them had been awakened by the annoying vibrations. I slipped from my heavy quilt and whispered Cloud's name. Surely he could hear these noises? Again, there was nothing. I finally decided to check the phone myself. The words 'One New Text Message' shined brightly against the screen and I eagerly clicked on 'read'.

"My dearest Seraph – I think the saying goes as 'You're getting warmer'?" I gasped as soon as I read my name. This wasn't happening. There were only a few people who knew where I was and who I was with. They shouldn't be texting Cloud's cell phone! I nervously hit reply.

"Who is this?" I quickly hit the send button and waited for an answer. Sure enough, another buzz alerted me that my stranger had sent another message.

'I'm a little hurt. How can you not know who this is?' They were playing with me. I could feel it in my bones. Somewhere, this person was taunting me and laughing at my feverish replies. I stared at the message and I went over who could possibly be doing this to me. I jumped when the phone came alive and rang out into the silence of the room. A blocked phone number came up and I nervously hit the button to answer the phone call.

"H-Hello," I stuttered.

"Hello…Seraph." My heart sank as I registered the deep octaves of the man who was supposed to be gone. The maniacal chuckle on the other end sent me into frenzy as I slung the phone to the wall, waking up both temporary roommates. Tifa was instantly in front of me, trying to calm me down. It wasn't until I felt her hands grasping my cheeks that I realized I had been screaming. Cloud was standing across the room, picking up the pieces of his shattered phone.

"Seraph…what's wrong?" The worry in the woman's eyes didn't settle my nerves. I lifted a shaky finger towards the broken phone and tried to explain why it was laying in shards.

"He was on the phone. He was speaking to me!" Tifa was once again trying to calm me down.

"Who?" They didn't understand! They didn't comprehend what had just happened!

"Sephiroth! He was on the other line! He was speaking to me, Tifa!" She exchanged a worried glance with Cloud and it hit me all at once: they didn't believe me!

"Sephiroth's gone, Seraph. He isn't coming back." I was wearing the blonde man's patience as I shook my head and buried it in my palms. I know who I had heard on that phone.

"I know what I heard." Tifa quieted me down before wrapping the blanket around my shoulders and coaxing me to lie back down.

"You've had a lot happen to you the past few days and you're remembering all these things all at once. It's a lot to take in. Sleep for now and we'll work it out in the morning." I nodded and tried my best to ignore the scene that had just unfolded. There was no possible way for him to come back…there just wasn't.

_

* * *

_

_"She's been assigned to SOLDIER on behalf of the Turks in hopes of catching a Wutai general." I glared at the beautiful young woman standing before Zack and me. I could tell the flirtatious young man at my right found her incredibly attractive by the long strand of drool forming in the corner of his mouth. Of course, I was exaggerating but it was quite obvious that he sought her attention. I eyed the taller man pacing to my left. Sephiroth had made it a point to conceal his emotions when dealing with business but I found that his eyes would crinkle slightly if he was amused. I could feel my usually pouty lips thin into a scowl. I was used to being the only female around and now, now this she-devil was going to parade in here with her sultry blonde corkscrew curls and those adorable brown eyes. It was disgusting. _

_"I will gladly take her on as my partner," purred Zack. _

_"Actually," replied Lazard, "I'm going to assign her to Sephiroth." Both of us gasped. I was kind of hoping she would be partnered with the raven haired flirt as well. _

_"But, sir isn't Seraph usually assisting Sephiroth?" I checked for any sign from the stoic general that signaled his disappointment but found the invisible smirk instead. Our superior dismissed us and I immediately headed for the gym. Zack stared after me for a moment before following suite. _

_SOLDIER's gym was a state of the art compound that housed the finest machinery to workout with. I preferred the old technique of beating up a sand bag to unleash my anger and frustration and…unfortunately my jealousy as well. I hastily changed in to a pair of grey sweats that had been torn off at the knee and donned a black tank top. It wasn't attractive to the naked eye but to a man who was truly checking out the female species, the outfit complemented my physique. I was sure that the blonde headed Turk looked amazing in the same outfit with her supple curves and ample figure. I decided to leave the boxing gloves behind and work bare handed. _

_I tried to imagine the Turk's head on top of the sand bag but came to the conclusion that it wasn't really her that I was so angry with. I let the colors swirl in my mind until they formed my mentor's handsome face. With that image in front of me, I unleashed the pent up aggression and punched the bag with all my might, adding in a few kicks for emphasis. Zack had changed as well and was holding the grey bag still while I wailed on it. His smile was smug and all knowing and I was half tempted to miss the bag entirely and aim at that damned grin. I finally stopped throwing punches while I wiped the sweat from my brow. I hadn't even bothered to pull up the tawny tendrils. _

_"What?" Mr. Fair backed away jokingly as if I had truly terrified him and then shrugged. _

_"If you're trying to hide the fact that you care for Sephiroth, then I hate to break it to you but you failed miserably." My knuckles were red and already bruising in certain spots. I ignored the ass and continued my assault on the boxing bag. I could hear the clunk of his boots before I actually saw Sephiroth standing in the gym doorway. _

_"SOLDIER 2__nd__ class, Zack Fair…you're needed upstairs." The man waved incredulously before disappearing into the halls. I braced myself for a teasing lecture but instead found SOLDIER's hero circling me like a shark in a feeding frenzy. I stole a few glances from the corner of my eye but refused to play this little cat and mouse game with him. He finally settled on a spot behind the bag. Now I had his physical form behind the equipment – worked for me!_

_"All this anger Seraph, and for what?" He was genuinely smiling at me now and more than anything, I wanted to smack that damn simper from his impeccable face. I tossed a few more punches before answering him. _

_"She's a Turk. I don't trust her." He moved to the other side of the mundane bag. _

_"She's attractive. You don't trust her with me." The flicker in my eye gave way to the truth. He immediately caught on to it and looked appalled. "What exactly do you take me for? I'm not like your comrade Zack, barking up every tree when I'm in heat." I blushed at the topic the conversation was leading to. I didn't want to think about those intimate things right now. I paused briefly and studied the man before me although I acted like I was nursing my sore hands. _

_"Every man wants the same thing…they only differ in how they obtain it." Without any hesitation, I was pushed to the ground and I instinctively scurried across the mats to regain my composure. Sephiroth was on me instantly, initiating the same hand to hand combat we had used in my placement test. I threw my right hand up in hopes that I could catch him off guard, bruising his flawless features. He easily caught my fist. My eyes thinned into cat like slits and I felt my leg react before my brain could process it. Once again, he caught the blow. It didn't matter how many jabs or hooks I served, he always retaliated with more force and skill. It didn't take long until I was shoved up against the cold metal wall and I frantically searched for another presence to witness the fight but found no one. I was locked in-between the frigid wall and the heated body of the man I was trying to resist. His arms blocked an exit from either side and I used my last bit of strength to helplessly push at his chest. His breath tickled my cheek and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up from the closeness. _

_"Is this what you truly think of me?" His voice was a breath of a whisper. I returned his stare with my own intense gaze. _

_"It's what I think of men in general." He held my eyes with his own for what seemed like an eternity before I finally felt his lips crash against mine. His first kiss wasn't adopted from a fairy tale. It was hard yet stung with a fire I had yet to feel. It was more intoxicating than any alcohol I had ever consumed and it spread through my body like lava cascading down a mountain. My knees became rubbery and I was thankful when he pulled my own form against his in a crushingly intimate embrace. I could feel his chest moving up and down rapidly as he struggled for breath and his muscles flinch underneath my touch as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Somewhere, I was sure that something had exploded into millions of particles because of this kiss. We finally detached and I closed my eyes so that I could absorb every detail. When I finally opened them, he was still standing in front of me, refusing to meet my line of sight. _

_"You didn't answer my question, Seraph. Is that what you truly think of me?" _

_"Hell…I can't answer you after a kiss like that!" He chuckled at this and I could feel my cheeks redden at my naivety. He ran a swift hand through my damp strands before turning to leave. I moved to go after him but he paused by the boxing bag._

_"Remember that kiss the next time you question my attraction for you." And I would, too. I had felt the emotion course through every single nerve inside of me and it screamed at me "just you". I was the only one he intended to kiss like that for a long, long time. I graced my flushed lips with the tips of my fingers as he walked out of the gym and grinned. _

* * *

My face was still pale from the night before as I watched Cloud converse with Tifa that morning. I didn't need to hear the conversation to know that they were talking about the freak out I had had with the phone. I know I hadn't imagined it. I could still hear his voice and a chill ran through me as if a spirit walked straight into me. The deep pitch, the resonating chuckle, the hint of laughter in his taunts – they were all him. But Cloud had said he was gone. It wasn't possible. My eyes had to force themselves to blink and I flinched when I heard Tifa's voice rise with anger. This was useless. I had become more of a burden than expected and with this sudden outburst of insanity, I was putting a wrinkle in their simple and clean lives. I sighed as I gathered Nemesis into my arms and headed out the front door. Perhaps I could find answers at the abandoned house Sephiroth used to reside in.

There were no children this time as an angry rain pounded the earth. They were probably at home, nestled in the warmth of their homes and their minds put at ease by their parents' protection. I wrapped my jacket around me in a tight hug as I trudged through the mud. I couldn't remember if I had had any parents. I didn't know if Athos raised me because I was an orphan or because he couldn't have a child of his own so he adopted…I didn't know these details of my life that I felt were incredibly important. I paused as I noticed the red fabric swaying in the wind. Vincent was blocking my path to the front door of the house and I honestly didn't feel like arguing with him. My heart sank as he handed me a delicate silver chain with an odd stone attached to it. I knew this necklace. It was given to me the day I became a SOLDIER 1st class. Sephiroth hadn't wrapped it and chose to give it to me behind closed doors and away from prying eyes. I marveled at how easily some of the memories came back without the pain that originally accompanied them.

"Cloud told me what happened last night," he stated bluntly. I shrugged and stared past him at the decaying abode. My answers were to be found in that dilapidated building, not from a man who refused to help me.

"Go figure. Get out of my way." I pushed my way through the rain and clipped his shoulder with my own. My patience was beyond thin and I didn't feel like sorting through the clues between his mysterious lines. He politely moved to the side and inquired about the stone hanging from the chain. I closed my eyes and tried to recall what Sephiroth had told me that day. I shook my head and complained that my past was revealing itself in small chunks at the most inopportune times while I tried to nudge the wooden planks off the front door.

"And you think the rest of the puzzle lies in here?" I tossed the first two by four to the side and began to work on the second.

"I don't know, Vincent. I've figured out that whenever I get near someone or something from my past, it triggers a memory. So far I know that I was a member of SOLDIER and that Sephiroth was an important person to me. I also know that there was some kind of experimentation going on. Now what kind of experiments, I don't know. How I was involved, I don't know. But I need to find out." I pried off the second plank and listened for the loud clunk as it made contact with the porch. There was only one left and I had to put in more muscle for this one.

"Just try to keep a level head, Seraph. Shadow is making an appearance again." I whirled around, my frustration escalading quickly.

"Who the hell is Shadow?" Vincent's ebony hair was flying freely behind him and if I hadn't been so uneasy around him every time he made an appearance, I would have found the sight achingly attractive. He paused, turning his head slightly in my direction. I could just barely make outline of his visible through the hard rain but his voice was stern and coldly reaching louder pitches so I could hear.

"Your worst enemy."


	9. When You Come to the End,Stop

**Behind Every Great Man – When You Come to the End...Stop**

**

* * *

**

I pondered over the words that Vincent gravely foretold before he vanished. I had acquired an enemy worthy of being called 'the worst' and this person was dubbed Shadow. The name didn't ring a bell as I cracked open the giant door leading into Sephiroth's house. The main room smelled of dust and aged wood as light littered the walls from the open door. It may have been raining, but it was more light than this house had seen in a long time. The front room didn't hold much – a few pieces of furniture covered in sheets, a bare fireplace, and the occasional piece of tapestry or decoration. I let my fingers grace the cotton sheets as if they were fine silks instead of the cheap thread. I wearily traveled towards the rickety staircase leading to the second floor. The boards creaked and moaned beneath my weight and I questioned whether or not they were safe enough to climb. I gave a sigh of relief as I reached the top and treaded down the short hallway to the main bedroom.

A giant four post bed took up most of the space and I was sure that at one time, it was a sight to behold. To the bed's right was a pair of French doors leading out to the only balcony adorning the house. The door held the only unbroken windows of the house and I quickly opened them to air out the bedroom. Grey light flooded the area and I smiled warmly as I reminisced the times I had spent in this place and the freedom it allowed its owner to be himself. Stationed in front of the bed was a full length mirror that had been bought specifically for my grooming purposes. It had been given to me so that I wouldn't complain about the lack of mirrors in the house. Across the hall was the bathroom that still housed the claw foot tub I had loved to bathe in while Sephiroth was out of town and to its left was the library. It was supposed to be a second bedroom, but the handy general had converted the attic in to a guest bedroom, although guests were rare. I coughed from the dust that clouded my lungs when I burst into the room.

Stacks of books ranging from the greatest poets to the most intellectual scholars adorned the bookshelves and I giggled excitedly as I flipped through the hard covers. This had been one of my biggest surprises when learning about him. He had teased me relentlessly about keeping my nose stuck in those ridiculous things when in all reality; he had his own extensive collection. I plopped down on the musty reading chair that seemed to swallow my lithe frame. A cloud of dust escaped the velvet material and I gagged for the relief from fresh air. Time had done little to the house except age it and as the old saying went; 'it's like a fine wine – it gets better with time' didn't ring more true than now. I recalled one of the shelves holding a locked cabinet that the general kept his important documents in and I scanned the walls for the only clue to the existence of the piece of furniture: a small brass keyhole. One would think that a cabinet would be easy to find but its owner was a particularly introverted individual who liked to keep his privacy, including a place to hold papers and files. The cabinet was camouflaged by a painted mural depicting a large collection of books and to the naked eye, it seemed just that: another book shelf. But hiding underneath a first edition of a collectible story was a tiny brass hole. I ran my fingers over the wood until the appendages found the tiny crevice that confessed the location of a door and with most delicate of movements, I swept Nemesis' blade into the space and pried the door open. The lock was now a mess of twisted metal thanks to my scythe's sharpened edge, although I didn't intend to leave anything behind for scavengers. I anxiously began to poke around the dark cabinet with my nervous hands until they touched something smooth and hard.

The first objects my hands curved around were two leather bound books that held written out plans and a log intended for SOLDIER personnel. I skimmed through the pages and realized that the hype over Sephiroth's heroism wasn't exaggerated. The man was a brilliant warfare tactician and his detailed plans were practically flawless. I shut the second book and returned to the small cabinet. Three leather folders and a small journal were the only items left. I glanced at the first folder and noticed a gold embellished name at the top – Zack Fair, SOLDIER 1st Class. I grinned as I opened the cover to reveal a polished picture of the notorious flirt in the uniform he had grown so accustomed to. There was very little residing in the file except for a small biography of the talented young man and a receipt for the awards he had accumulated before he died. The next file contained Athos' information. He was a decorated member of SOLDIER, higher in rank than Sephiroth but retired due to an injury that would keep him out of duty. It listed the adoption papers he had signed the day I was born and the names of my parents followed by the word 'deceased' in parenthesis. So that's what happened? A year by year log was kept in the file as well and featured pictures of my childhood along with a caption stating a string of scientific code. I tucked the folder to the side and flung open the final one. This one had my name in silver embellishments followed by a slick photograph of myself with bold statistics. I flipped to the next page and was met with a photo of a man holding a baby. I could only guess who he was for the next few pages were expertly cut and blotted out so that any more information was withheld. Something wasn't right. Why on earth would Sephiroth keep two full files but a cut and paste job of my own? I caught the movement behind me and guessed that Vincent had never really left.

"I don't…I don't understand. Did I even exist?" Vincent remained quiet as I pulled the tiny journal from its hiding place and stacked it up with the files and books on the large mahogany desk settled in the middle of the library.

"Your existence is…complicated." I twisted my body around to meet the eyes of a stranger. I had figured that it was the former Turk but instead found a white haired man with kind laugh lines gracing his aging features. His beady blue eyes resembled that of the man holding the infant in the picture and I cautiously took a step back. "Please, Seraph…please don't be afraid of me. I have waited a long time to meet you and I don't want to ruin this reunion. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Greg Morrissey." I gawked at the man before me and slowly took his hand. "I was afraid that Sephiroth had destroyed all of your information in an attempt to protect you from the truth. I was right, I suppose. He edited the only copy of your file before he left for Niebelheim…the rest is history. Perhaps if he had told you the whole story then maybe…" He rubbed his wrinkled forehead and sat down in the green reading chair. The way he just let his weight melt into the velvet told me that he had been carrying a burden for a long time, and the years just made it heavier for him.

"Dr. Morrissey…what the hell happened to me?" I positioned my body on the edge of the desk and eased myself into a comfortable position. The storm outside became a bit heavier, as if it were setting up a magnificent stage for the doctor's story.

"Sephiroth was an impeccable specimen. Shinra was so delighted with the results that they created a new account for us. Funds were unlimited and they asked for us to duplicate Sephiroth's perfection but on another completely different level. How do you make perfection…more perfect? That was the riddle we needed to solve so we decided to mutate the Jenova cells so that they created something entirely different. It just so happened that a young woman in another department had learned she was pregnant with a girl. We were delighted to learn that she was willing to take part in the experiment in the name of science." I tried to imagine what kind of mother would subject her child to something so horrendous.

"You injected me with the mutated cells?" He nodded and continued on.

"I didn't realize they wanted to create you for the sole purpose of SOLDIER until they revealed their intentions with Sephiroth. By then, you were a tiny infant and your parents were killed on a train raid by Wutai spies. Athos was more than happy to adopt you under the condition that you would be raised on his terms and not Shinra's. You had a completely happy childhood with Athos as your guardian – the total opposite of Sephiroth's upbringing. It was the one variable we could control in this portion of the experiment, after all, and you quickly exceeded all of our expectations. Where Sephiroth was introverted, you were extroverted. Where he excelled in physicality and intelligence, you lacked. You…completed each other, to put it romantically. But we never expected you two to actually…" He struggled with the words to form the rest of his thought. I gasped as I felt my heart quicken suddenly and the painful shot of memories striking my brain. I grasped my head and fell to the floor as the good doctor rushed to my side. My last recollection before blacking out was his concerned cries.

_I giggled softly as a single snowflake tickled the tip of my nose. It was going to be a light winter but the signal of the first snowfall was always a celebration in my own mind. There was something about the peacefulness of the land's hibernation until spring's visit of renewal that put me at ease. It was the comfort I took in knowing that in this very moment, silence was golden and even though this world was battered and war-torn, a single snowflake could still dance its way down from heaven. I smiled at the movement beside me as Sephiroth turned towards me and brushed the melted ice from my skin. SOLDIER had kept him incredibly busy and although I was constantly by his side, we never had that solitude together to just…be together. Since the afternoon where we had shared that first embrace, he stole every possible second alone with me so that he could keep the embraces up. Sometimes pretty words were exchanged but other times, no words were needed at all._

_Secretly, I cherished these serene moments but I never wore those true emotions on my sleeve. I had to remember that the man beside me may know my feelings but he also knew that I carried a sword and when in public, the passionate fire blazing inside me had to be directed towards my training and fighting techniques. _

_"I'm not quite sure which part of you I admire most." I sat up from the rough shingles that graced the rooftop we had met up on. It was one of the few places where we were actually alone. Pulling my legs up to my chest, I directed a questioning glance towards the hero of the year. "When everything around you is calm, you're innocent and demure at times. But then, in the heat of battle…you're brash, and incredibly…" He pondered over the right choice of words for a moment before stating, "Seductive." I had to laugh out loud at the word. Never in my life had I been complimented with the chosen word at hand tagged on. _

_"__Sephiroth…there are millions of words in the spoken language and you choose seductive to describe me in the heat of battle? We've never even been in a battle before. It's always…send Seraph to say this. Or make Seraph deliver this message." He was still laying on his back, watching the grey clouds hover over us. _

_"Don't mistake it, Seraph. The art form you are mastering is an intimate bond between a soldier and their weapon. It becomes part of you, molding its soul with your own until this perfect extension of yourself engages in an ancient dance of sorts." I scooted my body up next to his and nudged him slightly with my hip. _

_"That's very poetic. But you don't strike me as a ballerina, Sephiroth." He shook off my humor and sat up as well. _

_"The point I'm trying to make here…when a person is in the heat of battle, they're fighting with that extension of their soul. It's almost as intimate as…" He paused at the sound of a person breathing heavily from the ladder leading up to the roof. Zack was immediately in front of us, his back arched up into the air as he fell to his knees in exhaustion. _

_"You guys…are in…so much trouble. Lazard…sent me to come find you two. He said…it was really…important." I stood and arranged my general issued sword upon my back. I stationed myself beside my friend and patted his back in gratitude. Zack Fair was one of only three people who knew about the budding heat between the general and I and I trusted the dog with every ounce of it. Sephiroth strode passed us, his eyes never meeting my own. _

_"I'll go on ahead. Hopefully it will seem like I just missed his message instead of intentionally ignoring it." My eyebrows crinkled in confusion as I stared after the man who was now refusing to look at me. A tight tug on my skirt alerted me of Zack's exaggerated condition. I knelt down to his level, a generous smile spreading over my lips but the raven haired man could see past the expression._

_"He's just trying to make it look…non-suspicious, Seraph." I shook my head and glared at the empty space surrounding the ladder. _

_"Something's off Zack. Usually, if he gets a message then he ends our little meeting and goes right to work. He never ignores business." The man beside me elbowed my ribs softly and winked with a Cheshire grin. _

_"Take it as a compliment! He's putting YOU before work! Big complaint from the ladies…" I eyed him suspiciously; finally taking in the fact that he had been checking his phone a bit more often these days. _

_"Is that her only complaint as well?" He chuckled while tucking his hands behind his head. _

_"Aerith has no complaints…" He reddened at the realization that the guilty always speak first and he had voluntarily given up information he wasn't quite ready to give. I chose not to rub it in but the sly smirk was enough for him to mumble under his breath and kick at the snow accumulating around us. He motioned towards the ladder with my smiling self in tow. "Shut up Seraph." _

_"I didn't say anything!" I took the first step on the metal ladder and began the long climb down. "So that's her name?" Zack was below me, ready to catch me if my clumsiness caught up with me on the slippery ladder. _

_"Shut up Seraph!" _

_"It's a very nice name, Zack. I think I'd like to meet her someday." _

_

* * *

_

_The stairwell leading up to Lazard's office was full of commotion. People were whispering against the railings and I closed the small amount of space between Zack and I. Gently squeezing my hand, he led me through the heavy doors. Sephiroth was stationed against the boss' desk, his silver tresses shadowing his features from my prying eyes. A long, mahogany box was pushed towards me and a sliver of a smirk pinched Lazard's lips. _

_"Congratulations, Seraph 2__nd__ Class SOLDIER. Today, you are presented with your personal weapon." Athos emerged from an adjoining room, his snickers kept quiet by his own hand. To most within the network of SOLDIER, your personal weapon was either handed down by someone before you or given to you by the head of the organization. It was a great gift to receive if one's family didn't leave a weapon in your possession. Lazard shook his head and handed me the long chest. "I don't how Sephiroth did it, but he managed to keep you away long enough for Athos to deliver it without being detected." My line of sight sped towards my mentor but his own greenish orbs were already cast upon me. I didn't know if I were to be excited that he taken part in this or angry at his deception. I pushed the rising emotion into a dark corner of my brain and slid my fingers over the slick wood. With little hesitation, I opened the clasps and gasped as a shiny scythe appeared before me. I felt Athos' presence behind me as the pads of my fingers poked and prodded the great blade. _

_"Her name is Nemesis. A great warrior used this blade in battle but was so ashamed of her natural talent that she put that piece of her inside the scythe in hopes that another warrior would be able to use that talent in a way that she couldn't. If you're able to control this blade, then you're able to control the spirit inside it." My eyes widened with the recount of the story and it felt as if I had just opened the greatest gift known to mankind. _

_"Is that story true?" Athos patted my head and laughed off the question. _

_"I don't know. That's why they call it a legend, Seraph!" He moved the blade so that I could see the small print etched into her. When recited, these words would bring forth the katana within the scythe. Congratulations were shared and the small crowd finally dissipated. I was left in the room with a great blade and no understanding of how I was supposed to use it. I carefully strapped it to the back of my shoulder and turned to meet the cool leather of Sephiroth's ensemble. Without any kind of verbal notice, he handed me a necklace and clasped it around my neck. It would be the only physical present he would bestow upon me. _

* * *

A sharp pain raced through my skull as I slowly began to come around. The blurry images of the library swirled around me and I had to force myself to not throw up. I could feel the wetness of blood trickling down the back of my skull and I weakly called out for Dr. Morrissey. There was no reply. I called out again and turned my head to the sound of choked gasps. Lying beside me was the dying body of the only man who could recall my past. Thick, crimson liquid poured from his throat. I closed my eyes in hopes that the whole scene was just a hallucination but when I tried to move my limbs, nothing happened. It was as if I were paralyzed from the neck – down.

"Don't try to move. It'll hurt more when your muscles come around to actual movement." A syringe fell from the hand of a figure cloaked in darkness. A dark purple hood covered the stranger's face from my view and I vaguely followed the sound of leather heels clunking against the wood as the stranger circled me. Again, the images swirled together but I couldn't hold back the vomit. The stranger understood and pushed me onto my stomach so I wouldn't choke. I gasped for air as the bile escaped my throat. "They said one of the side effects would be nausea," the silky voice said as she tossed a brown bottle at my side. A tear managed to squeeze through as I watched Dr. Morrissey struggle with his last breath.

"W-why did you kill him?" The leather heels clicked a small trail up beside me.

"He knew too much, Seraph. It had to be done. You'll come to understand all of this. But until then, I can't have you screwing around with my plan." The tingling sensation in my toes told me that my muscles were slowly coming back to life. The shrouded figure rolled me over with her leather clad foot and prodded my abdomen with her spiked heel. I would feel that later on.

"What plan?" She clicked her tongue and reprimanded me for interrogating her when I had no place.

"Seraph…just let the natural order of things fall into place. There's no need for all these questions." She turned on her heel and strode towards the door exiting the library. I called out to her once more, my mind knowing who she was without any evidence but my heart needing a desperate answer.

"Is he alive? Did I just imagine the phone call or is he truly alive?" I received no answer, just taunting laughter that echoed through the halls as she left. Thunder clapped outside as I let out a shrill scream.


	10. Watch It Burn

**Behind Every Great Man - Watch It Burn**

* * *

I heard no slam from the front door. I heard no tires peeling in a clean getaway. There was no sound except for the raindrop's soft patter and my labored sobs. I had been stronger than this when I was in SOLDIER, I was sure. But I couldn't move. My limbs were limp against my sides and the only movement came from the pool of blood creeping towards me and threatening to drown me like a horrible plague. So that was Shadow. That horrible person was dubbed my worst enemy.

I winced as the putrid liquid finally reached my forehead and managed to seep underneath my scalp. It was cold, just like Dr. Morrissey. His mouth had remained open in a silent scream and his eyes, the eyes I thought were so warm and comforting when I first met him, were desolate and stared at me. They forced guilt into me. I could've saved him if I hadn't had a memory relapse.

I finally heard a door slam and heavy boots pound up the stair case. Cloud's voice echoed throughout the house but I couldn't speak. I couldn't grasp onto those words for help. A small creak whispered into the room as another set of feet sounded on the floor. They were in the library, whoever they were. The coldness disappeared as my head was gently lifted from the wooden floor. Vincent's red cloak clashed with the crimson pool around my head.

"What happened here, Seraph?" I croaked out the name Shadow, my throat too dry from the crying to explain what had just taken place. Cloud burst through the doorway and began to interrogate us both. Behind me, Vincent found the brown bottle Shadow had injected me with. So foolish, I kept telling myself. I let the enemy get the best of me. Vincent pulled me into a fetal position and held me close.

"Sleep now, Seraph." For once, I welcomed the darkness.

* * *

__

Nemesis' blade reflected the worry I was trying so hard to control. I coiled back in disgust. This was ridiculous. Sephiroth was completely able to take care of himself and in the last month alone, I had seen more action on the field than he had seen in his entire career. I reclined back in Lazard's chair and watched the storm grow angrier outside. 

"_I wish you worried over me like that," Zack said from the conferencing desk. His big feet were lounged against the desk as the rest of his body relaxed in roll about chair. _

"_You're always under my supervision. I don't need to worry over you." I could feel him roll his eyes behind me. I wasn't, by any means, his superior. _

"_You're lucky you're a pretty girl, Seraph. Otherwise, I'd have disowned you a long time ago." There was humor in his voice and I knew he was trying to lighten up my mood with harmless flirtation and friendly bickering. I shook my head and tensed up when I saw the black helicopter take flight. _

"_I thought they had delayed the order for the chopper," I said with a hint of more worry than I thought possible. Zack came up behind Lazard's chair and studied the same scene I was. Sephiroth was scheduled to depart the city with a handful of SOLDIERS using one of the bigger planes for an aerial assault. There was no copter described in the mission. I stood up to get a better view._

__

There, in the corner of the helipad, was a figure cloaked in black and running towards the air craft. No! This was an assassination job!

"_Zack, they've got an inside job!" I jumped Lazard's desk and headed to the nearest balcony I could find. Maybe I could make the leap to the helipad. _

__

The sight of the explosion hit me before the sound did and I fell to my knees. Sephiroth was on that chopper. Debris fell from the sky in angry shades of orange and red with the metal's mangled shards. The rain naturally doused what it could and an eerie steam blanketed the wreckage. I somehow found myself at the edge of the entire scene and my heart skipped beat after beat. For a moment, I thought I had died inside there as well. And then I saw it…

__

He was mostly blocked by the flames that were still licking the helicopter's mechanical wounds but he was there. It was the assassin I had seen earlier coming to admire his handy work. However, there was no twisted, amused expression. His lips were set in a stern line while his eyes searched through the wreckage. What was he looking for? What else could he possibly do? Rage boiled inside my blood and my sight melted into the chopper's warm hues until all I could see was red. It filled me; a thick, heated substance that merged with my hate for this person. It consumed me, swarming my veins and pulsating to my heart's rhythm. It was drowning me, this darkness, until I saw nothing but black. 

__

Color burst into my line of vision when I felt the sword's tip prick the back of my neck in a warning. I was completely soaked and sitting astride the man I had seen through the wreckage. Nemesis was in my grip but her blade was buried inside the man's torso. I couldn't tell at this point if I was wet because of the rain or the carnage I had just displayed. I smiled regretfully. There were two of them. Of course, there were. 

"_On your feet…you don't deserve an honorable death." I stood and waited for the blow from Death. Behind me, I heard a sick crack and the gargled gasp from the faceless man. I turned in time to see the silver hair, matted by the rain. He was alive! _

__

He cleaned his blade and stood, signaling to someone I couldn't see. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was used as an instrument to lure out both assassins. Sephiroth was never in the helicopter. My feet were moving on their own accord and stopped short of a breath beside him. 

"_You used me," I growled in a low voice. He turned slightly but he was in career mode. It was the same expression he used with his enemies. The realization stung more than I thought it should have. These were dangerous waters that I wanted to test. My fingers twitched in anticipation and before I could keep them occupied, they jerked on their own accordance and struck his shoulder. _

"_You used me!" My voice wasn't a whisper any longer. This time he turned to me, those catlike eyes dilating from excitement or anger, I couldn't tell. _

"_And you performed exceptionally well. SOLDIER should be proud to have you under their command." I didn't do it for them! _

"_I thought you were dead!" He sheathed his weapon and turned his back on me. _

"_And you can see now that I am perfectly fine." I side stepped so I was in his sight once more. The stoic expression…I couldn't handle it anymore. I grabbed his coat's lapels and let my head hang in defeat. _

"_I thought you were dead…" My shoulders gave way. I was admitting something that I was not comfortable with him knowing. His chest moved faster as he took in a deeper breath. Surely he knew the meaning behind those words. Sephiroth grasped my hand and pulled me towards a secluded alley behind another building. He finally looked at me like I was his Seraph again. Those beautifully colored eyes strained to find something in my own and for a moment, I was expecting the worst news possible. He couldn't say the words I wanted to hear. Instead, he decided to show them and caressed my bottom lip with his thumb before gently placing a tender kiss there. _

__

It was decided then and there that that night would be spent together. I agreed to meet him at his place after the briefing and with one more tender embrace, he led me towards a waiting Zack. The worry on his face unsettled me. I stared down at my hands and grimaced at the sight of all that blood. I probably looked just as horrible everywhere else. 

"_I know, I know…I look like a mess." He grabbed me by my shoulders and checked my face. It seemed like an eternity before he sighed in relief and followed me inside. It would be a long time before I understood just what he was checking for. _

* * *

I awoke to a grey dawn. Tifa had mentioned that the weather was going to be a mess for the next week or so and I missed the warm embrace of a sunny morning. Everyone around me was sleeping so with the quietest of movements, I crept from my bed and tip toed towards the bathroom. I flipped on the light and immediately saw it. My eyes were black. They were like a shark's eyes, filled in with that darkness and devoid of any emotion. I fell back against the wall and shut my eyes. This wasn't real. I was exhausted. I had just witnessed something traumatic. I slowed my breathing and regained control of myself. Slowly, I pried open my eyes and sighed in relief when my normal coloring was there. Stress, that's all that was.

* * *

****

City Subway Station – Platform 12

A lone man's screams stretch out into the deserted subway station. Once upon a time the platforms bustled with life during every possible waking hour but the years of depression and desolation meant that the railway was only used during the day time, leaving the platforms to the vulnerable and cruel.

His body is flung across the narrow space, his shoulder crunching against the brick wall's periwinkle pain and his face mangled by an unknown terror. His once crisp suit is lying in tattered rags against his body and his usually trusty gun now lays in the throes of a finely manicured hand. Fingerless gloves adorn those hands; the assailant's nails dyed a deep crimson from the attack. A silken ebony hood shields most of her face away from the world and an equally black veil hangs from the side, unmasking her true horror: a set of razor sharp teeth filling up a grotesque smile. The smile disappears and her lips go back to a more natural formation that society has come to accept. The fangs disappear as well and squared off teeth now put the man at a bit more ease for the wicked simper had just made a mess of his face.

"I'll ask you again, good sir, why are your people after Dr. Hornsby?"

Blood was smeared over her now human smile and the stranger trembles at the recollection of what had just taken place. Her voluptuous body is hugged by a tight red halter dress, accented with a pair of stiletto boots. He knows his death is imminent and he shakes his head in defiance. He was trusted with this secret and even the inexplicable horrors he was witnessing wouldn't make him shed that trust. The woman began the short trek over to him, her heels clicking against the cold concrete of the subway platform. "I see you're admiring my shoes. Do you know why women like to wear heels?" Her figure is now crouched before him, her face still shadowed by the hood of the cloak. Without giving him a chance to answer, the man is grabbed by his torn collar and flung up into the air. Despite the surprise maneuver, he is still able to catch the gleam of shiny metal from the tip of her shoes and knows what is about to happen as she swiftly sends her leg up into the air, catching his body with dagger protruding from the shoe's toe and entering his neck. The cadaver falls limply to the ground. She reattaches her veil and leaves the scene before anyone can spy the crime she just committed.


	11. The Darkness

A/N: Unfortunately, this is going to look smashed together, so bear with me. I've tried formatting if different ways but this is what I'm stuck with on here. So to help readers understand here's a breakdown - regular text is the present. Bold text is Dr. Morrissey's recordings. Italics are still Seraph's memories. Thanks for understanding!

Behind Every Great Man - The Darkness

* * *

I pulled the blanket over my head as Cloud pulled back the curtains. I didn't want to greet the sun this morning. I just wanted to sleep, go back to that coma and forget all these things coming back to me. I wanted the memories gone. I wanted that face that haunted me day in and day out to be erased from my brain. A small package dropped onto the pillow beside me. My fingers curled around the wrinkled manila folder, the tiny folds bending effortlessly underneath my grip.

"What's this?" Cloud was still standing by the window, his eyes closed and taking in the morning sun.

"Dr. Morrissey had it on him. I think he was planning on giving it to you if things went sour. Shadow didn't think of searching him." I tore open the folder and shook it until a tiny tape spilled out onto the comforter. Cloud's heavy boots marched over to my bed and a tape recorder was held out in front of me. He left the room without another sound.

* * *

I stared at the recorder for a long period of time. Dr. Morrissey was a direct link to my past but I was terrified to know the truth. I slowly pressed the play button and waited patiently through the moments of soft static and Dr. Morrissey's rustles in the background.

**"Hello, Seraph. If you're listening to this tape then I fear I wasn't able to tell you everything you need before I met an undesired fate. I've been going back and forth about divulging your complete past to you but I think, in the long run, it's best to know. So…here's your story, Seraph."**

* * *

On the outskirts of town, a pair of high heeled boots marches through the streets. Her face is hidden from the public although she can feel their eyes on her. She slithers into the doorway of a cheap motel and tosses a few dollars at the desk clerk to cover the night. She doesn't intend to stay much longer.

* * *

**"As you know, Sephiroth was the creation from an experiment known as Project S. He was…perfection. His body didn't succumb to the degradation the other experiments showed, nor did he turn out like the hybrids –mutated monsters that were better off dead. He was a success in every way possible. But Shinra wanted more. Our scientists now knew the perfect formula…but it could always be better. They wanted an Eve to their Adam, if you will. Thus, Project Eden was formed. They wanted to create the female counterpart to Sephiroth, only…they wanted to play with Jenova's cells. We infused the cells with a genetic formula of own creation. We…mutated the cells, made them our own. We injected the cells into your birth mother and nine months later, you were brought into this world, Seraph."**

* * *

She climbed the stairs and refused to meet a small child's gaze in the hall as they stared at her bloodied boot. She hastily unlocked the door and shed her cloak. Dried blood caked her arms and she didn't think twice about jumping into a scalding hot shower. She barely noticed all the crimson hues flowing towards the drain.

* * *

**"Sephiroth was treated like an experiment from day one. He was told that his mother was Jenova but she had passed away after he was born. His father never treated him like a son. But Sephiroth still showed emotion and that was a productive outcome. Your parents really did die. But Athos created a loving and stable home for you. We were thrilled to learn that you too, showed a capacity for emotion. We never intended, however, for you and Sephiroth to meet. And we never intended for you two to actually fall in love. There were…side effects. We learned too late that Jenova's cells could take on an almost parasitic lifestyle…taking over the body's mind. We wouldn't learn Sephiroth's breaking point until much later. You were a completely different story. Athos reported that at times of great stress or trauma, your eyes would turn completely black. He reported that it was almost like you were another person when this happened."**

It had been after a battle with a Wutai clan. A rookie had made a critical mistake and revealed our location to the enemy. Zack and I took refuge behind some trees and ordered our more experienced members to use the landscape to their advantage and sneak around to the back, taking the enemy by surprise…

I glanced up at Zack, waiting for the go ahead to attack. He had the better vantage point. He smiled eagerly and nodded. I didn't hesitate. I rolled into the camp site with Nemesis' katana blade unsheathed. I cut through as many as I could before clashing with a rather large fellow with a magnificent blade. I managed to bring him down by aiming low and slicing at his Achilles tendons. My heart beat drowned out the noise around me. It was just Nemesis and I. We caused this carnage. We were unstoppable. I let out a small yelp as Zack's arm circled around my waist and hurled me over a large fallen tree.

"_What the hell was that about? Your orders were to bring in their leader for questioning, not slice him into a bloody pulp!" My back was to my friend and his eyes widened as I turned around. _

"_You don't understand, Sephiroth, her eyes were entirely black! It wasn't like the cat eye thing that you do…I mean the space that her eyes occupy were completely dark!" I pushed my cheek closer to the metal door. Zack had refused to talk to me after the mission and demanded to see our general when the chopper landed. _

"_Perhaps your eyes played tricks on you. Warriors sometimes hallucinate in the heat of battle." Sephiroth's voice was calm and stoic as always. _

"_That wasn't Seraph. She enjoyed the blood bath today." I strained to hear more. "I recommend that she be taken to a facility and checked out." I flew back from the door as if it had burned my flesh. _

* * *

She brushed her wet hair with her fingers, clumps of hair entangled in her fingers. She was fading fast. She needed to learn the path into the lifestream if she had any hopes of surviving.

* * *

**"Cloning was still relatively new. They didn't want to make a complete reproduction of you. The shell was kept in a hibernate state but as soon as you came into close confines with the shell, the mutatations…the darkness as we all called it, slithered into the shell. It breathed life into the shell. It bred a monster. My dear Seraph, you were never a monster. You showed compassion, humor, and love in your lifetime. You managed to show a very cold man…how to love. When the dark cells overtook your mind, another personality emerged. She was vengeful, greedy…evil. She thrived on pain and destruction. The dark cells merged completely with the new shell."**

"_These pathetic humans believe they can challenge you, order you around like some lap dog. When in reality, they should be bowing down to you." My body circled him like a hungry wolf as he pushed the numerous books and worn pages from the desk. My heart was begging my body to stop this. I was pushing him too hard. He was broken and I was smashing salt into a very deep wound. _

"_I'm a monster; sewn together by the cells of abominations." My fingers pushed back the hair covering his ear and my lips danced dangerously close to him. His skin was on fire from the anger and it fueled my intentions even more. _

"_You were chosen to rule this planet. Why do these humans deserve such a place? They destroy whatever they touch and treat this world like their personal garbage cans. The blood that runs through your veins is more powerful than any human here. They deserve to burn…" Inside, I was crying. This man I loved…I was torturing him, filling his heart with resentment and lies. _

* * *

She stood in front of the mirror and traced her lips with her fingers. At will, her human mouth bent and cracked until the wide grin filled her face and the horrific fangs returned.

* * *

_"She was a monster. She was a creature procured from the depths of hell. She was the cause of one of the greatest tragedies our world has ever seen."_

* * *

She stared at her reflection. Her hair was a few shades darker and she held more deformities, but the blue green eyes still shined bright. She smiled once.

* * *

**"That day you were brought in from Nibelheim was the day Shadow was created. And there lies your greatest secret. Shadow is, in theory, an extension of you. She is your darkness."**

Please…no.


End file.
